


Born to Serve, Living to Smile

by Otaku_Princess010



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Blow Jobs, Comedy, Crushes, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Smut, High School, I have to think of more tags, M/M, Romance, Secrets, Smut, Tamaki is Adorable, humor everywhere, more to come in the smut category :), new host
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2018-08-13 23:40:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 101,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7990519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Otaku_Princess010/pseuds/Otaku_Princess010
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kazuki has been accepting into Ouran Academy. He rather not think of his old life and try his best to survive the true horror of life; high school. The only thing more complicated than trying to juggle school, friends, and host's duties (which he was forced into) are his feeling towards his fellow host and classmate, Kaoru Hitachiin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I had this idea in mind for some time. Although I still have an unfinished fanfic, which I hope I can bring myself to finish, I wanted to publish and see how it's going to go. So yeah, read and leave a comment if you'd like me to continue.

"If I ever go to jail, it's because of murder," Kazuki grumbled, his forehead resting on the wooden desk under him.

"Don't say that, it scares me," Sayuri deadpanned, brown eyes never leaving her book.

"Why does it scare you?" Kazuki asked, facing his best friend.

A smile tugged at her lips and she said, "Because, one; I feel as if you're capable of committing and maybe getting away with murder and two; you actually do things when you're motivated."

The male laughed at the girl, her jokes always cheering him up. "That is true," he countered. "But seriously, I ha-"

"You're never serious," the blonde said to Kazuki.

"Yes, I am," he said. He turned to her with a challenging expression. They stared into each other's eyes, Sayuri brown ones challenging his turquoise ones. She masked a perfect poker face, which was seemingly impossible for the other to perform. Kazuki soon broke out into a grin, unable to look his best friend in the eyes without smiling.

"See, you're never serious," Sayuri said.

"I can be," Kazuki said, puffing his cheeks out like an infant.

"The day you beat me is the day I admit you're serious."

"Whatever," he said as he rolled his eyes. "But my seriousness isn't the issue at the moment. The problem is that I'm going to have to go to the other side of the school building, yet again, to get Aiko from that club." Kazuki groaned at the thought. Having to get his sister from the host club every day was becoming a tiresome task. He did respect that she enjoyed ogling the male students on display there, it just irritated him how she never bothered to watch the clock.

"So we're going?" Sayuri asked, closing her book and standing up. She smoothed outs her yellow dress, patting it as if it acquired dust over the time they sat in the empty classroom. Part of her blond hair was braided and the rest laid flat on her back, going a bit over mid-back.

"Is it even necessary to ask at this point?" Kazuki questioned as he also rose from his seat. He loosed his necktie, hoping it went unnoticed by Sayuri's watchful eyes. Even if he was wearing neckties since birth the male was unable to cooperate with the seemingly choking fabric. What suicidal freak came up with the idea of tieing fancy cloth around one's neck as a fashion statement?

The duo left the classroom and headed down the elegant halls. They passed by a few other students, who chatted idly with large smiles. Kazuki gazed out on the extravagant windows, watching the clouds slowly move across the sky. Well, actually, we are the ones moving.

"This whole academy is ridiculously huge," Kazuki said with a grumble under his breath.

"It is a school for the elite," Sayuri said. "What else would you expect?"

"Nothing short of ridiculously gigantic. Do these people even know how many people are starving in other countries?"

"Isn't that where your family mainly deals in?"

"Well, yeah." The Hiro family was one of the head families in the banking and financing business. The line of work placed the family high on the economic scale. With the high income, many people let the money run and ruin their lives. Kazuki knew exactly how money can destroy and change people. Ryuu Hiro, the head of the household and business, wasn't like that. He constantly donated money to orphanages, food drives, hospitals, and animal shelters across the world. He even took his kindness to a personal level, like when he adopted Kazuki.

"So? Calm down about it," Sayuri said. "You are technically helping those people."

"True," Kazuki said with a nod. "But you know what would be flipping amazing?"

"Huh?"

"A huge game of hide-n-seek. That shit would be awesome!" Kazuki said, already envisioning the intense game. There were a thousand and one places he could hide in and no one would ever find him

"Language," the blonde said, elbowing the other. Kazuki winced at the sharp jab. Sayuri always had a thing for elbowing him. She said there was something satisfying about using the strongest part of her arm to harm others. It was one of the lesser weird things she had said to the boy. If people actually heard what went on in that head of hers, they'd stay away. "But I do agree," she said. "That would be the most intense and trickiest game ever."

"If only they invested their time and resources in better things."

"What are you referring to?" Sayuri asked.

Kazuki's eyed the 'Music Room 3' sign. They had finally arrived in front of the doors to the host club.

"Don't hate on the hosts," Sayuri said. "If it wasn't for the club, you wouldn't be able to see 'you know who'."

"I told you it isn't like that," the male said. "He's just...interesting looking."

"Yeah, 'interesting looking'. How do you even tell the Twin Devils apart?"

"Because they're different people."

"You know this how? You only have two classes with them."

"I can just… tell. Do I need to request them or something, to have to know the difference between the two?"

A mischievous grin played on Sayuri's.

Damn it, why did I even suggest it. "I'm not going to," the male deadpanned.

"I never said you were."

"I can tell by the stupid grin on your face." He patted her head like she was a child. "Let's go in already, I don't want Aiko being in there any longer and finding an excuse to stay."

"Yeah, you can go with that story all you want to."

Kazuki rolled his eyes and opened the grand doors. The barrier seems to open itself, which allowed the smell of flowers and tea to fill the hallway. The god of flowers seemed to welcome the two, which was the explanation Kazuki came up with long ago when the rose petals inevitably flew by them. The laughter and chatter of girls created the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the Ouran Host Club.

Unconsciously, Kazuki searching the room for a certain host. It didn't take long for his eyes to land upon the auburn-haired host. He was talking with one of his clients, his perfect smile plastered over his face. His brown eyes weren't focused on Kazuki, but he could still see the joy in them. His brother wasn't with him at the moment, which didn't bother Kazuki in the slightest. Kazuki couldn't help but stare at the both handsome and interesting person that was Kaoru Hitachiin.

As if he noticed Kazuki's stare, Kaoru allowed his eyes to drift from the girl to Kazuki. They looked into each other eyes for a moment. Even though they were on different sides of the room, Kazuki felt as if he could see every detail about the other's brown eyes. Kazuki wasn't the kind to just stare at people and turn away like some embarrassed, lovestruck girl. He raised a hand in acknowledgement at the host, playing off the, maybe, awkward eye contact. Kaoru gave a small smile, before giving the girl his attention once again. He would probably forget about the eye contact in the next minute.

"Kazuki-kun?" a voice said, drawing said boy from his thoughts. He looked over to see Haruhi gazing at him.

"Oh, hey there, Haruhi," Kazuki said. "How have you been?"

"Good, here to pick up Aiko-san?"

Man, this dude is straight forward as always. He needs to loosen up some. "Yup, is she done with the king?"

"I'm not quite sure, do you want me to go check?"

"Nah, save yourself the hassle. I will go get her." Kazuki looked around, searching for a specific blonde girl. "Um, do you know where Sayuri went?"

Haruhi's eyes travel over to a table. The blonde in question was sitting in a chair, sipping tea from a fancy cup.

"Did she make a request that quick?" Kazuki asked. To his knowledge, Sayuri rarely came to the host club other than to pick up Aiko. If she did come on her own free will, she'd usually request Haruhi. Her reasoning being 'He is so down to earth'.

"No," Haruhi said. "She just really likes the tea here."

I just hope that money grubbing bastard doesn't charge her a fortune for it. Kazuki sighed and made his way to his sister's usual spot. As usual, his sister was sitting, staring starry-eyed at the blonde host. Tamaki had charmed her with his sweet nothings like he does with the rest of the girls.

"Aiko," Kazuki called as he neared the two.

It took his sister a moment to notice her brother. "Oh, Kazu-chan, here already?" she said her usual bubbly tone.

"What do you mean already, you've been here long enough. You know Dad wanted us home early today."

Realization crossed over her face and her green eyes widened. "That's today?" she question. She then faced the host that was listening quietly to the siblings. "I'm sorry Tamaki, I have to go."

The blonde gave her a soft smile and lifted her chin slowly. "It's fine my dear. Just know I will be counting the minutes as I wait for your return."

The girl almost fainted by the words. She nodded and rose from her seat. "Give me a moment, Kazu-chan, Shiro has something for me I have to get," the brunette said before heading to the other side of the room to find her friend.

"Was she here since class ended?" Kazuki asked the host who was rising from his seat.

"Yeah," he said with a smile. "She's a fun one, that Aiko."

"I guess." Kazuki sighed.

"You're such a good older brother, always coming to get Aiko," Tamaki said, patting Kazuki on the back. "Good for you." His smile almost blinded the younger male.

"Hey, Tamaki-senpai," a voice said. They looked over to see Sayuri next to them.

"Hello there, little lamb," he said with a light tone as if he flipped a switch from casual to host mode. "Are you my next client?"

"No," she said with a polite shake of her head. Kazuki gave her a glance and could see she was plotting something. "I have a question about the rules for the host club's clients."

"What could that be my dear?"

Sayuri had a devilish look before she asked, "Do you take male clients?"

It only took Kazuki a split second for him to process the question. He immediately wanted to strangle the girl. I thought she was playing earlier about me requesting Kaoru. Forget Aiko, I'm going to kill this girl.

"Uh, well, there isn't anything against male students reserving," the blonde stated and looked as if he was thinking hard.

"Tamaki is right," someone said. Kazuki looked over to see that Kyoya had joined them. "There isn't anything against it in the club policy. Although we mainly serve to young ladies, we have had some males come and enjoy just as much as the ladies." The raven haired host pushed up his glasses.

"Well said, Kyoya," Tamaki said light-heartedly, giving the other a friendly pat on the back.

"Would you like to put in an appoint, Kazuki?"

Money grubbing bastard. "Uh, no," he said, trying to play it off casually. "I'm good, I'm not quite sure why Say-"

"Yes, he does," Sayuri said.

"When would you like?" Kyoya asked as he began to write down the information.

"Never," Kazuki proclaimed.

"Tomorrow at four," the blonde girl answered.

"Stop it!"

"Which host would he like?"

"I'm not making an appointment."

"The Hitachiin twins."

"Sayuri!"

"Is that all?"

"Please rethink this."

"Add me too," Sayuri said.

"Kazuki Hiro and Sayuri Mushima at four tomorrow with Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin," Kyoya read out.

"How do you know our names!?"

"Yup."

"We'll see you tomorrow then," the host said with a smile.

"Yes, you too." Sayuri said with a nod.

"Okay, stop!" Kazuki shouted. "I'm not making a damn appointment to come here tomorrow. Don't you dare schedule me for something I'm not going to take part in just to make me pay for it in some way. I'm not going to be in some ridiculous debt because she signed me up for something I don't want to go to. I doubt you need my presence or money to continue this god forsaken club, so stop acting like you have to have me. I have no intention of wasting my time or money here."

Without knowing it, Kazuki's annoyance turned to rage. He loved jokes as much as the next guy, and he was guilty of crossing the line multiple times himself, but he didn't like this joke. He noticed a majority of the students were staring at him. nobody said a word.

"Kazu-chan…" Aiko said as she neared her brother.

Perfect, I made a spectacle of myself. He grabbed his sister's wrist and dragged her out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

"Kazu-chan, what you did was so rude and totally uncalled for," Aiko lectured her brother on their way home.

The male student groaned, rubbing his temples in an annoyance. He was getting a headache and his sister wasn't helping. "It isn't my fault."

"But it is."

"Sayuri was trying to sign me up for an appointment that I had no intention of going to," Kazuki said, trying to reason with his younger sister.

"So you yell at the club's vice-president and basically say that the club all those boys have been putting so much effort into is basically a scam?"

"No...I, ugh, Aiko, don't do this to me at the moment." Kazuki already began to regret his outburst, especially since all of the girls heard him. He was going to become that one dude that yelled at Kyoya Ootari. He didn't like when his temper got the better of him, and he was usually really good at letting his anger simmer under the surface. He didn't know if Sayuri was trying to play a prank or something on him, but he just didn't like it. "I'm sorry, Aiko. It's just that, those appointments can be up to twenty thousand yen, and I'm not going to spend that much to talk to two of my classmates nor am I going to be in their debt." He let out a sigh and gave her a look that can convey his feelings of both pain and regret. "You know I don't want to be in anyone's debt."

She nodded her head and also let out a breath. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But you don't need to apologize to me. You need to walk your butt to that club with me tomorrow and formally apologize to every single one of the host."

"Sure," Kazuki said with a shrug. His phone rang in his pocket and he took it out. He looked at the ID, which read _She-Demon_. He put it to his ear after pressing the green button and said, "Hey."

"What the hell is wrong with yo-" the voice began yelling at him instantly, but Kazuki immediately hung up.

"Who was it?" Aiko asked.

"Some idiot handed their whining baby the phone and they called me," he said with no expression on his face or in his voice. He silenced his phone, knowing that his friend would call again. _I really need to rethink our relationship after today._

The siblings arrived at their house not too long after the silence took over. They exited the vehicle and walked into the mansion.

"I hope Dad isn't mad that we're tardy," Aiko said.

"Who's fault would that be?" Kazuki countered.

"Don't try to pin all the blame on my sister," a voice said from the bottom of the stairway. The siblings look up to see a male in his early twenties gazing at them. His blue eyes looked down on the two, his dark brown hair just passing his ears. He was in a suit, which fitted his tall frame perfectly.

"Nii-san!" Aiko shouted, hurrying over to her older brother after giving one of the house maids her bag. She nearly jumped on the man like she was still a child. They hugged each other, both of them masking a large grin. "You're back, I've missed you so much."

"Same here," he said.

Kazuki had to suppress a groan of annoyance when he saw the two engaging in their exchange of sibling affection. He walked pass Shou and Aiko, not even acknowledging his brother. Kazuki went up to his room and closed the door behind him. He divested himself of his blazer, shoes, and tie, and gave a sigh of relief.

He looked down at his lush bed with dreamy eyes. "Our love must be forbidden," he says to the bed. "Because I feel as if the world tries to keep us apart." With that he fell onto the soft blanket, allowing the comfort to take over him.

He felt movement on his bed and a warm sniff by his ear. He smiled as Qin, his pet rabbit, came to comfort him. The student smiled and patted the pet as he snuggles close to him.

The feeling of comfort and solitude was momentary, because his door opened a second later.

"Dad wants to see you," Shou said from the doorway.

"Fine," Kazuki said and his older brother left. Shou never liked Kazuki. Ever since the younger boy was adopted, Shou did everything in his power to avoid him. Kazuki didn't see the big deal with him living with the family, but it was as if Shou did. Kazuki learned to deal with it and not try to annoy his older brother. Shou was usually away on trips to help the company, so he wasn't home that often to effect Kazuki in any way.

Kazuki left his room and head toward his father's studies. He had a feeling he knew what was going to be discussed during his time with the older man. After walking to the other side of the manor, he reached his room. The student gave the door a sharp knock, waiting for a response.

"I'm busy," a low voice said from inside the room.

"Well, , you asked to see me," Kazuki said from the other side of the door. "Oh, by the way, I'm tired."

Kazuki heard a chuckle from the other said and was given permission to enter the room. He did that, gripping the brass doorknob and walked into the room. The walls of the study were cover in bookshelves, each one housing several of the books. The curtains were drawn, which allowed the late afternoon sun to stream into the room. In front of the window was a man in his late forties. Grey hairs began to grow in with the dark brown and the man's eyes were beginning to have wrinkles in the corner.

"Kazuki, how've been?" the man asked, rising from his chair.

"I've had better days," Kazuki said with a shrug. "Anything new with you?"

"Not much, come sit down with me, boy." The elder man gestured to the cushioned chairs around the coffee table. They both took a seat, only then did Kazuki notice the tea and chocolate on the table. The student shot the man a glance.

"Ryuu Hiro," Kazuki said, using his father's full name, "what are you trying to accomplish with this? Because if it's bribery, then you, my old friend, are very good."

Kazuki's father laughed and hit his knee. "You will never bore me, Kazuki my boy."

Every time Ryuu used that phrase, it made Kazuki feel a bit guilty. _But I'm not your boy._

"But, I'm serious now," Ryuu said. "We both know it's that time of the month again."

"Why do you keep saying like that, it's not like I'm Aiko, I don't get those things." The student popped one of the chocolates into his mouth, almost moaning at the pure sweetness.

"Kazuki," the other said sternly, signaling he wasn't playing.

"Sorry."

"Ahem, like I was saying, it's the first Tuesday of the month and, like we agreed, I'll transmit the money to your bank account by tonight. But, are you sure you want to continue this?"

And there was the question Kazuki was waiting for. "Yes, I am sure."

"Kazuki, we've been over this. You don't need to try and ration your spendings like this. I'm happy that you want to be more money wise and such, but it's not necessary. I told you the day brought you to this house that I'll provide everything you need."

"And you've done just that and I'm thankful," Kazuki said with a smile. "You give me the necessities I need, and I'll take care of the rest. You know it helps me." Kazuki trailed off, the other already knowing what he's getting at.

_It helps me remember that I shouldn't take things for granted again. It helps to remind me that I should be careful what I invest in. It helps me not become blinded by my fortune and forget about the lesser fortunate. It helps me to prevent me from becoming like the people that lost everything because they were foolish, people like my real parents._

The older man sighed and nodded. "So you want to continue this into this month also?"

Kazuki nodded his head.

"Well, it's done," Ryuu said a bit reluctantly. "So, how's the academy, you've been gone for some time now."

The question made Kazuki think of the events that day, and it took everything in his power not to groan and rub his head. "It's nice. I get to see Sayuri a lot because of it, which is good. Classes are fine, and I think I may have to take chorus."

"Why not? I bet you'll blow the others out of the water," the other said with a grin.

Kazuki shrugged and drank some of his tea. "It seems like it would give me the least amount of homework out of the others. And you know how I am." Kazuki flashed a smile to his adoptive father.

"'Less work, more comfort,'" he said, reciting Kazuki's motto in life.

The chatted for a good hour. Kazuki always loved the time he spent with the elder man. Whether they spoke about the business Kazuki thankfully never had to inherit or discussed random news, Kazuki was always content. He never had much of a connection with his biological father, so it always made him happy to share this time with Ryuu. It was hard for the student to actually call him 'Dad'. He never knew why, but he only managed to get it out when he was in public or when the man wasn't around.

"So, you saw Shou?" said the man asked, snapping Kazuki from his thoughts.

Kazuki didn't answer, just sipped his fourth cup of tea silently.

"I take it it played out like the other times."

Kazuki nodded his head. They stopped at this point to try to get Shou to talk to the younger male. It only added to the apathy he felt to Kazuki.

The phone rang throughout the room, stealing Ryuu's attention from Kazuki. He looked down at his wristwatch and his eyes grew. "Six thirty already," he said with a touch of sadness in his voice. I look up at Kazuki with a strained smile. "Work calls."

"I can hear it. , we need you because we can't do anything without your help," Kazuki said in a different voice. He smiled and stood from his chair. "I guess I will go and do the homework I didn't finish earlier."

The two said their goodbyes and Kazuki exited the room. On his way to his room and saw a maid and requested his dinner to brought to him in his room. He would have gotten it himself, but he ate too much chocolate and was feeling a bit sick. _There's no such thing as too much chocolate, the incident from earlier is doing this to me. My dear chocolate would never try to hurt me like this._

Once he finished his homework, a servant came in and brought him his food. Kazuki assured the man that he didn't need anything else. He sat on his bed, Qin on his lap, and began watching the reruns of an anime he saw some years ago.

_I wonder if that money grubbing bastard writes names in his black book and hopes people die. No, my name is in there and I'm still here. Instead of killing people, it forced them to give him money. So it's a Moneynote. Oh god, this isn't good. There's another Kira on the loose._

Kazuki went to bed that night wishing a shinigami would drop a notebook in his yard.

Kazuki groaned as the vehicle pulled up to the gates of Ouran Academy. He really didn't want to see people today, much less interact with them. He was already missing his love and it hurt him a bit inside knowing his bed was all by itself in his empty room.

"Kazu-chan," Aiko said from beside her brother. "Are you daydreaming about your bed again?"

Kazuki sent a glance her way but didn't reply. With an exasperated sigh, he stepped out of the limo. He was temporarily blinded by the rays of the sun, but he soon overcame it. Side by side, the siblings walked to the entrance of the school building. Unlike many students, Kazuki actually tried to get to class on time and receive an education. He always enjoyed school and he came to appreciate it more when he was taken out for almost five years.

Kazuki snapped out of his thought when he felt the all too familiar feeling of being watched. He looked out from the corner of his eyes to see a few people giving him looks he didn't like. It only took him a moment to realize why people had their gaze locked on him; he's the idiot that had an outburst in the host club yesterday.

"Aiko," Kazuki said.

"Hm?" she hummed, oblivious to the looks they were getting.

"If anyone says anything to you about me today, don't reply to them in any way."

The girl gave her brother a look of confusion. "Don't be cocky, no ever talks about you," she said with a mocking smile. Kazuki rolled his eyes at her, but he smiled a bit at his sister rude statement.

"I hope we can keep it that way," he mumbled under his breath. They entered the school building and separated to go to their respective classrooms. Kazuki quickly made it to class and took his seat. He didn't even try and act as if the eyes lingering on him weren't there. All he wanted to do was to finish class quickly. But a thought soon popped into his head; what will Sayuri do once she comes to cl-

"Kazuki!" an unforgettable voice shouted, cutting the student from his thread of thought. He looked over to see an infuriated Sayuri stomping towards him. Multiple students stared at the blonde as she made her way over to him. He eyes were narrowed and her eyebrows knitted together in anger. "How dare you ignore my calls?" she hissed as she approached him.

"Oh, that was you call me?" he said with a nervous laugh.

The girl grabbed his elbow and leaned in so their faces were inches apart. "I'm not having this right now mister wise guy." She pressed her thumb into the pit of his inner arm. Kazuki hissed in pain but she didn't stop. "As you can tell, I'm very mad. So, unless you want me to chop off every finger you have so there is a reason for you not to answer my calls, you're going to answer me."

"Ow, ow, owowowo, okay, I'm sorry, please stop," Kazuki begged. "I didn't answer because you annoyed me yesterday."

The blonde girl removed her grip from the boy and stared at him. "And you couldn't text me that you didn't want to speak? You know I worry about you Kazuki. You left so abruptly and all yesterday, I thought something might have happened to you."

Anyone could see the hurt expression on her face and it made Kazuki feel guilty. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I won't ignore you like that again, I will at least tell you when and mad at you. Also," he leaned over and flicked her on her forehead, "that is for pissing me off."

She rubbed her forehead with a frown. "You won't be able to do that once I chop off your fingers."

"And before you say a word about it, I know what happened yesterday was wrong. I'm going to go apologize once club hours start."

Sayuri smiled at him, happy she didn't have to lecture the boy.

"Do I need to drag you to the music room?" Sayuri asked, sounding bored with the situation.

"Yes, you do," Kazuki said. "For I am dead, and the dead can not move. Thus, I lie here, waiting for someone to transport my corpse somewhere that isn't as cold as thi marble I lie upon."

"So funny, I may need to bury you next to Shakespeare. Sadly, I don't feel like traveling to Europe and I doubt I can bring a corpse onto the plane."

"Too bad for you," Kazuki said, closing his eyes. The marble wasn't that bad. He knew the look in Kyoya Ootari's eyes would be much colder and harder than the marble he laid on. Kazuki wasn't coward, he just didn't want to go.

"Okay, I will let you rot here and not bother you about this again if you can beat me in a game," Sayuri said, crouching down so she was closer to Kazuki.

Kazuki's eyes immediately opened. She knew he couldn't refuse a challenge, his pride and urge to win everything and anything wouldn't allow him. "Okay, I'm in."

"But if you lose, then you are going straight to the third music room and you are going to apologize for what you said and attend your appointment."

"Deal," Kazuki said without a bit of hesitation.

"'Kay, I'm going to list two characters, you have to pick one without the slightest bit of hesitation. Once we go through five and you don't mess up, then you win. You do, then I when."

Kazuki nodded, ready for the question.

"Haru or Rin?" Sayuri started

"Haru," Kazuki answered easily

"Cana or Levy?"

"Levy."

"Yuu or Mika?"

"Mika."

"Sebastian or Levi?"

"Levi"

"Yato or Juvia?"

"Ya- no, Juv- um," Kazuki stumbled, trying to think of which to pick. "Yato is really cool and everything, but Juvia is so badass and funny. But Yato is al-" Kazuki stopped rambling when he realized what had happened. He looked up to see Sayuri smiling devilishly at him.

"I win," she said and stood up.

"No, Sayuri, you can't do this to me," Kazuki shouted, crawling after her. "You can't just pin me in the corner like that. You know they're my favorites."

"That's why I used them, now get up and walk."

"But, you ca-"

"I could and I did," Sayuri said coldly, staring at the other. "Now I won, get the hell up before I elbow you."

The threat made Kazuki jump to his feet in an instant. He reluctantly walked down the halls to the club room, grumbling under his breath the whole time. Once he made it to the door of Music Room 3 he paused and took a breath.

_I have to do this, it wasn't okay for me to shout at the bastard and insult his club. Although it was all Sayuri's fault. I just need to go in there, say a quick sorry, and chat with the twins like I would with any other student in the academy. Just shut up and open the damn door!_

Knowing that he had to do it now or meet with Sayuri's elbow, Kazuki opened the door. He entered the room as if he was calm and not caring about every single thing that could happen once he is trapped in the club room. He scanned the room, searching for Kyoya, and it didn't take long to find him. He was leaning against one of the pillows, recording something in his notebook.

Kazuki made his way over to the other, causing a few of the girls to hush their conversations to watch him. Kyoya must have seen the second year in his peripheral vision because he looked away from his book and at the other.

"Well, hello, Kazuki," he said in a cool tone, but his eyes were sharp. "I didn't think I would be seeing you today."

"Uh, hey, Kyoya," Kazuki said casually. "Well, I came here to apologize for my outburst yesterday. I was just a bit pissed at my friend and wasn't really feeling the joke. You obviously put a lot of time, effort, and resources into this club and," Kazuki gestured to the dozens of girls in the room, "it is quite successful. So, yeah, sorry for insulting this place. It makes my little sister happy, so I know it's a nice place."

There was silence between the two for some time. Kyoya studied Kazuki for some time, judging the sincerity of the apology.

Kyoya let a smile play on his lips and said, "Why thank you. We do invest a lot into this club, it is a business. We can put aside yesterday's incident knowing that you understand the importance of this club to others"

Kazuki nodded his head, understanding what Kyoya was getting at. "Yeah, let's do that." Kazuki cleared his throat and said, "Ahem, um, by any chance, do you think I can still attend my appointment with the twins."

Kazuki heard a few girl let out excited squeals and others began to whisper amongst themselves.

Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "Even after what yo-"

"I know what I said yesterday and I regret it," Kazuki said, surprising himself as well as others that he just cut off Kyoya.

"Very well, your appointment is at four."

Kazuki noticed that he still had a good fifteen minutes before he got to talk to the twins. He asked Kyoya if he could wait in the room and the third year simply nodded his head and gestured for him to take a seat. Kazuki wondered if the other would charge him for breathing.

Kazuki found an empty table and took a seat, taking out his pale green phone. He made quick work of text his friend.

_K: I apologized and I'm waiting for our appointment._

A second later he received a text.

_S: that's great :)_

_S: what do you mean our appointment_

_K: We share an appointment, remember?_

_S: ….._

_S: I canceled mine :/_

Kazuki's eyes grew wide and he frowned at his phone

_K: YOU WHAT?!_

_S: I didn't think you were going to go and I sure as hell won't go by myself_

_K: I'm going to kill you_

_S: not if I get to you first XD_

_S: have some fun with Kaoru and just chill ;)_

_S: I told them earlier that they should just drop the act and talk to you as a peer_

_K: ?_

_S: I told them what to do earlier IF you came_

Kazuki smiled down at the message. Sayuri may be annoying and demanding at times but she was kind and caring.

_K: You're something else_

_S: yeah but you're stuck with me :D_

Kazuki pocketed his phone once he noticed two girls were coming his way. He smiled up at them as they approached.

"Hi," the girl with black hair said. "Would it bother you too much if my friend and I sat with you until we get our turn with Tamaki?"

"Not at all," Kazuki said and gestures towards the empty chairs. "Please, have seat."

The duo smiled and took a chair each. After some times, the three started to chat. Kazuki didn't like being the main focus of everyone's attention, but he would never shy away from a conversation. Actually enjoyed talking to others, he just never became close with anyone. It was easy to speak with the girls and they laughed at his jokes. He felt a bit bad once four hit and they had their appointments.

Kazuki said bye to the two and went over to where the twins were. _Remember, Kazuki, stay chill. Kaoru is just going to talk with you. You don't need to get worked up over anything. It's just a chance to talk to your crush and his brother after you had awkward eye contact in class and dissed their club, yeah, absolutely nothing to worry about._

Kazuki forged a confident but not cocky smile as he approached the Hitachiins. "Hey," he casually said once he sat in his seat.

The two mirrored the smile and spoke in unison, "Hey, Kazuki." The turquoise eyed male studied the two, besides the direction of their bangs, the two were almost exactly identical, almost. Hikaru's usual more laid back manner seemed a bit uneasy, probably due to the fact that he was with a male. Kaoru smile was a bit softer and he seemed more at ease with Kazuki's presence.

"I just want to say I'm sorry about yesterday," Kazuki said.

"It's fine," Hikaru said. "It wasn't the first time someone said something like that about the host club."

"Probably won't be the last," Kaoru continued. "But no one ever had the guts to yell at Kyoya, though."

Kazuki gave a short laugh. "I was blinded by anger and wasn't thinking clearly. I would never do it again, he's like the second scariest person I know."

"Who can out do Kyoya?" Kaoru asked.

"He must be a monster," his twin added.

This caused Kazuki to actually let out a loud, happy laugh. His laugh rang out throughout the room, but for once he didn't care. "No, oh god no. She isn't a monster, but a demon that has escaped hell. You know the blonde girl Sayuri?"

Both of the twins stared at Kazuki like he was crazy. "That quiet girl?"

"Well, I heard she you two had a lover's quarrel in homeroom," Hikaru said.

"She may seem quiet and harmless, but she is far fr- lovers?" Kazuki asked. "Oh, no, we are just friends. Lots of people think we're an item, but we aren't. I can't be in such an abusive relationship."

And for the next half-hour, the three casually chatted. The twins never pulled one of their brotherly love acts and Kazuki kept the subjects he was comfortable with. It wasn't hard to talk with them and Kazuki began to wonder why he never bothered to try.

"And the Kaoru started screaming because he thought it was a bug," Hikaru finished with a chuckle.

"Hikaru, don't mention that," Kaoru whined. "You know I hate bugs."

Kazuki smile, imagining him crush screaming in fright at the feel of something running on his leg.

"Hikaru, Kaoru," a voice said. The twins looked over to see it was Kyoya approaching them. "You two are due for your next appointment."

"Already?" Kaoru asked. "That was quick." He rose from his seat along with Hikaru. The twin turned to Kazuki and said, "it was fun chatting with you, Kazuki."

"Likewise," Kazuki said, but inside he was screaming with joy that Kaoru enjoyed their talk. The twins left and Kyoya remained for a moment.

"I'm happy you enjoyed the service," the vice-president said. "Well, you be paying with the same account as your sister?"

Kazuki inwardly groaned. _Of course, that's what you want._ "No, I actually have my own I'll like to use for today." Kyoya looked a bit surprised at the comment but took Kazuki's account information once provided.

"Thank you very much," Kyoya said and looked at his watch. "Akio should be finishing soon, so you are permitted to stay until then." With that, the third-year left.

Kazuki remained at his seat, nibbling on a cookie. He was about to take his phone out when he notice a girl from across the room looking in his direction. They made eye contact and she quickly looked away. Interested, Kazuki rose and went over to her.

"Hey," he said once he approached her. "I can't help but notice you from where I was sitting," Kazuki spoke with a smile at the girl.

"Oh, um…" she trailed off looking down. Kazuki took her chin and pushed it up so he could look into her honey eyes.

"Don't look away know, I'm just getting a look at you," he said slyly.

"I wanted to talk with you," she said meekly. "But I don't know your name and I haven't seen you here before. I wasn't sure on how to approach you. I saw you talking with some other girls some time ago and…"

"Well, aren't you cute," he said. "I'm Kazuki, and what might you name be?"

"Yuki," she said.

"Well, Yuki, why don't you come sit down with me?" he suggested. The girl flushed and nodded. The tint of her cheeks made the male smirk. "And we can talk about anything you like."

On the other side of the room, Tamaki was watching Kazuki lead a girl with light brown hair to a table. He wondered what the other was doing. He was shocked when Kazuki began chatting with the girl. She was blushing and seemed swooned by the other.

"Hey, Kyoya," Tamaki called his friend who was by him. "What do you think Kazuki is up to?"

"He is talking to one of the girls," Kyoya stated. "She's the third one today."

"Really? That's quite interesting," Tamaki reported.

"So he's doing to again," Aiko said, turning around to look at her brother.

"Again?" the hosts echoed.

"Yeah, it isn't uncommon. If he catches someone's attention, he usually goes to confront them and talk with them. He said it's because he doesn't want them constantly bugging him, but I think he just likes making girls blush and laugh at times."

"So he's that kind of guy," Tamaki said.

"Yeah, but he doesn't have many friends. Sayu-chan is the only one he's close to. He would chat with others for some time, but it's usually a one-time thing."

The three watched as the girl with Kazuki pulled out her phone and looked as if she was reading a text. She soon got up from her seat and told something to Kazuki. He made a remark that made her blush and walked away from him. Before she left the room, two other girls stopped her. They spoke for a moment and the first girl pointed to Kazuki. The other nodded and made their way towards him.

Tamaki smiled and said, "I think something is going to happen in this club of ours."

Haruhi was saying goodbye to the last guest of the day. She was slightly tired and just wanted to go home and study after eating with her dad. The second year closed the large doors and walked over to where the rest of the host were sitting.

"So what is it you want to talk about, Tamaki-senpai?" Haruhi asked.

The blonde smiled his I-have-an-amazing-idea smile. "Well, I wanted to know what you thought about Kazuki."

"Kazuki-kun?" Haruhi asked. "Well, he's nice. He has had good grades and doesn't show off like an idiot like other guys in class. I only have a few classes with him. I see his friend Sayuri sometimes, she requests me."

"Yeah, he's cool," Hikaru said.

"I have nothing to complain about," continued Kaoru.

"He also apologized to me about yesterday…" Haruhi said, looking up in thought.

"He did to all of us," Kyoya claimed.

"See, isn't he so nice?" Tamaki said.

"Yeah," the twins chimed in. "What do you have in mind, Boss?"

"I wanted to make Kazuki a host." Tamaki smiled widened.

The three second-year students looked with curious expressions.

"Kyoya," Tamaki said, snapping his fingers, "read them the numbers."

Kyoya nodded and pushed up his glasses. "On his own account, Kazuki hosted eight different girls in four sessions. Seventeen made asked for an appointment and about twenty would have made one if they hadn't heard that he wasn't a host."

"That's impressive," Haruhi said.

"With Mori and Honey gone, I think it's about to get a new host," Tamaki said. "And of course he will help bring in more money." The line was directed towards Kyoya.

"Do you really think he'd want to join after what he said yesterday?" Haruhi asked.

"I agree," Kyoya said. "Just because he apologized, doesn't mean he's up for it."

"It's fine," Tamaki said. "I have a plan, all we need to do is bring him back."

"I'm never going back," Kazuki declared flatly. He was only half focused on his sister trying to get him to go back to the host club. The male was laying on his bed, math homework spread in front of him. Qin was sleeping on Kazuki's lower back and the student tried his best to not wake his pet.

"Why not?" Aiko whined, sitting on the bed with him. "You looked like you were having fun today."

Kazuki groaned and laid his head on his open notebook. "Tell me, my darling sister, why you find it so important for me to go back to the host club? I'm dying to know, just look at the curiosity painted on my face." Kazuki gave his sister an emotionless stare.

"Kazuki, listen to me," Aiko said, sitting on the bed. "I think that you should try. I saw you laughing and smiling in ther-"

"That place is filled with fake smiles," Kazuki groaned.

"Not all of it. Kazuki, I've been your sister for a year now, and I know how you are. You are people dependent, yet you don't want to be too close to other. I'm not trying to say this in a mean way, but you can't fully depend on Sayuri and me as your support. I barely see you at school and Sayuri may want to do things without you at times. She does have other friends and I heard that she wanted to join the literature club so she can improve her writing."

Kazuki understood that his friend did have a love for reading and writing. Her grandfather was a famous writer and she often talked about going into that field. "If she wants to go, she can," Kazuki mumbled.

"Do you really think she'd want to leave you by yourself every afternoon?" Aiko countered.

"Aiko, you know convincing me to do something and guilt tripping are two different things?" Kazuki snapped, the words coming out a bit harsher than he meant.

"I'm just putting it out there," she said softly, looking down at her feet.

Kazuki sigh, knowing his younger sister had a point. "What do you propose?"

"Why don't you join the club? What's there to lose?"


	3. Chapter 3

Kazuki had a feeling that today was going to be a life-changing one. And not in a good way. His morning and early afternoon were strange, being that they were surprisingly flawless.

He woke to feel refreshed and restful. It was too weird and he half expected for birds to fly into the room and they'd start singing in perfect harmony. Not only that, but he stayed up fairly late marathoning a new anime he began. He couldn't go to sleep when each episode left him on a damn cliffhanger. _Damn you Satarou and your time skipping ability_.

After he left his room, he found out that Shou had left for a sudden meeting that he wasn't able to skip. Kazuki had to forge sorrow at the fact that his older brother was going to be gone for a couple of days.

Aiko didn't speak a word about the host club one there way to school. The two stayed relatively quiet during the car ride, and Kazuki was thankful for the peace.

The day itself went moderately great. His quiz was canceled, he aced his test he took yesterday (which he didn't study for), and he was able to get the last chocolate cake at the cafeteria. He should be relatively happy, but he was on edge and it was quite noticeable. No day in his life had gone so smoothly without there being some sort of disturbance. Suddenly he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. He immediately grabbed the limb and hopped out of his chair, and held the arm behind the person's back.

"Ouch," a feminine voice cried. The head of blonde hair turn and brown eyes met Kazuki's turquoise. "Kazuki, I swear if you don't let go of me, I'm going to kill you."

"Sorry," he said, letting go of Sayuri's arm. "Yeah, you can do that. That's what's going to happen, you're going to hurt me."

"Eh?" she questioned, cocking her head to the side.

"Kick me, punch me, stab me, just harm me in some way," he explained. He needed something negative to happen to balance out all the good. It was all driving him crazy.

The blond narrowed her eyes at him. "You want me to hurt you? Okay, I would usually take up the offer, but I won't because you seem off today."

"Sayuri please, I need it."

She backed up some, pulling her arms to her chest. "You masochist." She rubbed her arm where the other grabbed it. "What has you so on edge, man? I promise you, I'm not an attacker that his coming to assassinate your mistress. Although if you gave me the chance, I'd love to snap the pretty neck of the bi-"

"Let's not speak of her," Kazuki said, placing his fingers on his temples. He hated when Sayuri brought things up, like his old 'mistress' and other things. "Anyways, it's just that I have a feel that something bad is going to happen today. It has to."

"Such an optimist," she said sarcastically. "So what, you're going to go all combat mode on everyone that comes near you until you go home and find out one of your favorite characters died in the new episode?"

"I don't know," he said slumping in his chair.

"Kazuki, so what if something unfortunate happens, you'll live." She walked over to him and placed her hands on his cheeks. "Even if the worst happens, I'll be here for you. Like you said, all you need is a bar of chocolate and a good friend to survive." She wore a genuine smile as she comforted the guy.

"Yeah, thanks, Sayuri," he said.

Her smile soon fell and her eyes widen a bit. She cleared her throat as she stepped back, removing her hands. "See, just have to open your eyes." She quickly swung her hand down to slap the other. With his excellent reflexes, he caught the girl's hand a centimeter from his face. He looked at her with a raised brow.

"I was seeing if I could take the chance to hit you like you asked," she grumbled, snatching her hand away from his.

"Hm," he hummed. "Of course you'd try something like that. Hey, what have you thought about the club at this school?"

"The clubs?" Sayuri echoed. "Well, they are plenty and a lot of them are interesting. Of course, I wouldn't enter one that makes me exercise, ew. I think the pictures the photography club are cool, but my mom told me to find something nice. I hope she knows I'm not going to do flower arranging or any-"

"What about the literature club?" Kazuki interrupted.

"Well, yeah, it seems cool," she said plainly with a shrug.

"Why don't you join it?"

"What has gotten into you, Kazuki?" she asked, ignoring his question. "We both know that you'd die if I left you. Besides, you haven't chosen one either. Stop caring about me and find something for yourself."

"And you're calling me the hypocrite," he countered. "You're too worried about me to join the club."

"Listen to yourself, dummy. You really think I'm the clingy one in this relationship?"

Kazuki let out a sighing, knowing she was right. "Can you at least go to the club room, go check it out?" Kazuki asked.

"You really want me to?" Sayuri asked.

"Please, just go see if it's worth your precious time."

The blonde gave her friend a solemn look and nodded. "Sure, I will go later today when the clubs are opened."

During the remainder of the day, Kazuki waited for school to finish. He didn't know whether or not he did want to join the host club. No matter what his sister said, her word alone wouldn't be able to get him to commit to the club. Before his final class, he found Hikaru in the hall.

"Hey, Hikaru," Kazuki called out, attracting his classmate's attention.

The auburn haired male looked over to Kazuki and gave him a smile. "Sup, Kazuki?"

"Nothing much," he said nonchalantly. He actually much rather speak with Kaoru, but his twin will do. "I have a completely random question for you."

Hikaru raised a brow and leaned himself against the marble wall closest to him. "Yeah, what is it?"

"What is it like being in host club? Like, your drive for staying."

The other scoffed at the question. "I'm sorry, it isn't you, I just get that question often. Well, it's pretty cool. Mind you, it's more than just entertaining girls, we're like a family in there. We go out and just do silly things and being surrounded by people you know cares about you as an individual is amazing. Kaoru and I didn't get much of that growing up, but now it's completely different. The girls that come in are fun to talk with and making them swoon is all too much fun. All in all, it's a great place and I'll hate to see it go."

"What do you mean?" Kazuki asked.

"Well, there were two others, Mori and Honey, but they already graduated. Boss, oh, that's Tamaki, and Kyoya are third years now, which mean that by end of the year the club will probably end."

Kazuki felt a bit down by that. If the club was as important to Kaoru as it was to Hikaru, they will both be out of a place they loved. Hikaru's words weren't making it any easier to keep the thought of hosting out of his mind. It would be a lie if Kazuki said he didn't like the flustered looks he caused girls to wear. It wasn't something that he would try to do on his own time.

"Oh, sorry if I just dumped a bunch on you," Hikaru said with an uneasy smile and a hand behind his back. "That's our problem, no need to tell others. Stay hushed about it for us, thanks." With that, he headed back to where he was going.

Kazuki slowly made his way to his next class. His own thoughts and opinions were going around in his mind. He was still unsure of even going back to the club, but there would be several benefits for going. He knew that at the moment, his life was pretty dull. It was a cycle of home and school, having minimum interaction with other people. This wasn't the life he was hoping for years ago before he was adopted. Aiko told him all about the host club before, the places they went and the things they did. No doubt in Kazuki's mind that the events and traveling were appealing. But he usually avoided being the focus of attention, which was one of the main concepts of the host club.

Aiko was right when she said he was people dependent, it's just that he didn't want to rely on too many people. It was unfair for him to mainly be supported by Sayuri and Aiko, but he couldn't become too attached to people he could leave or will leave him. He was far too used to going from one place to another with very little time to say goodbye to the people he cared about.

With a sigh, the student entered his final class of the day. He was surprised to see the girl from yesterday, Yuki, sitting in one of the chairs talking with some of his classmates. She turned her head and smiled with a blush when she saw Kazuki.

"Well look who's here," he said as he approached her. "Couldn't get enough of me, could you?"

Her cheeks flushed a bit more her friend giggled behind her. "I was just coming to visit some of my friends before the end of the day. The club is closed today, so we were planning on going out."

"How nice," he said with a smile.

One of the girls poked Yuki and made a 'go ahead' gesture. "Um, Kazuki, I was wondering if you were going to be hosting again tomorrow."

Kazuki had to fight the shocked look he was going to let show. He had had his fair share of flirty comments to a girl, but none of them have ever really spoken to him after, now this girl was talking about hosting.

"Sorry, Yuki, but that was more of a one-time thing, I'm not part of the club," he said with an apologetic smile. He saw her face fall slightly, the disappointment radiating off of her.

"It's fine," she said. "Well, I'll see you around." She stood up and waved goodbye to her friend and Kazuki. He made his way to his own seat and sat down. It didn't bother him that much that he had to reject her, but his mind finally caught up to his actions. He talked to about five or six girls yesterday, what if they all thought he was a member? He groaned a put his head down. _Of course, they would, you were like the only guy in there that wasn't a host, they would assume._ He recalled the laughs of the girls from the other day and it was a very nice feeling and atmosphere.

_What the hell am I going to do?_

_S: i'm heading to the literature club now_

_K: Have fun_

_S: are you sure you don't want me to hang with you for a bit_

_K: Positive_

_S: if you start crying from loneliness, send me a picture._

Kazuki smiled and set down his phone. He hoped that she wasn't thinking that he was trying to push her away. He just wanted her to enjoy herself. She may be a bit antisocial, but he felt as if it was mostly his fault. He always seemed to cling to her and because of that, she really didn't need to be with anyone else. He was always so willing to sacrifice his own time and such to just be with her. She thought it was him being selfless, but to him, she was one of his main properties.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw movement. He looked over, thinking it was Sayuri coming despite his words, but the figure was quickly gone. He got up and walked to where he saw it. He then noticed that there was a piece of paper on the floor. Suspiciously, he picked it up, inspecting the page. He was both confused and surprised to see the newest chapter of _Cheese in the Trap_ , a webtoon he's been following for the past few months. He read the first few panels of Soel and Inho talking to one another.

He looked down and notice another paper on the floor, it being the continuation of the previous scene. He gazed up and saw a trail of papers leading down the hall, each on a printed part of the latest chapter. Suspicious of the trail yet excited for the new content, Kazuki followed where the papers led, picking up each on and organizing them into a pile.

Once he had nearly thirty printouts, he stopped outside a door. His eyes traveled up to see he was in front of the infamous 'Music Room 3'. He wanted to turn back at that moment, but he saw that the last paper was sticking just out from under the door. He leaned down to pick it up, but he was snatched away from the other side. Annoyed that he didn't have the final piece, Kazuki opened the door to the room. Surprisingly there were no rose petals flying his way or chatter from the other side. _Did everyone die from inhaling too much floral perfume?_

Kazuki peered in and saw the rare sight of the host club void of female students. He walked in and wandered around the room, his footsteps echoing back to him. He noticed the last page of the comic on a table, but he was no longer consumed by the story. He places the other papers on top of the table and called out, "Hello?"

He knew someone had to be here, why else would the papers lead here? At this point, the situation could only be described as suspicious. He heard hushing sounds coming from somewhere to the left of the room, so he decided to follow. He turns the corner and a cacophony of loud shouts makes him jump back and into his defense position. He eased once he noticed it was the members of the host club plus his sister, all of them smiling gleefully.

"It worked," Tamaki exclaimed with a clap of his hands. The twins smiled widely and high fived each other while Aiko jumped up and down clapping her hands.

"What the heck is going on?" Kazuki questioned.

"That will be discussed in due time," Kyoya said, pushing his glasses up. "Take a seat and read your comic for the time being."

Kazuki wanted to snap at the other, but he decided against it. He peered over at Kaoru, who sent a smile his way. The raven sighed and went over to where he put down his papers and began reading through them. It didn't take too long for him to finish and he softly whispered "OTP for life," as he set the pages down.

"So, Kazuki," a voice said behind him. He looked over to see Tamaki making his way over to him. "I have a proposal for you."

"You want me to join the host club, don't you?" Kazuki said flatly.

Tamaki's puppy eyes widen. "Are you psychic or something?"

"Yup, and I can tell you that a week from now the person you like will make a declaration of affection."

Tamaki leaned in, completely intrigued. "Really? Wow, what else can you see, oh wise one?"

"Tamaki-senpai, he's obviously messing with you," Haruhi said from the other table as she worked on her homework.

"Haruhi, don't doubt his power," the blonde shouted.

"I think we're getting a bit off track here," Kyoya said. "But you are correct, Tamaki proposes that you join our club as our new host."

"That's the bad thing of the day," Kazuki mumbled to himself.

"Pardon me?"

"Oh, nothing," the turquoise eyed guy said with a dismissive wave. His immediate thought was to shoot down the proposal, go home, and eat some chocolate ice-cream, but he gave it another thought. _This would give me the opportunity to give Sayuri some space and get Aiko off my back. Not only that but this would be my one and only opportunity to join. If Hikaru was telling the truth, this would be the last year for the host club. Not only that, I don't know what I wanted in life at the moment. I don't know enough people to have real connections, which you need in this high of a social class. This club will allow him to make more connection, even if it mere acquaintances._ His eyes glanced over to the side where he saw the twins talking with Haruhi. _And a bit more time with Kaoru._

"Sure," Kazuki said with a shrug.

Kyoya blinked at him, stunned by his answer.

"Why do you look like that? You're the people that asked me, you should have at least considered me accepting."

"Hooray!" Tamaki exclaimed, extending his arms in the air. "We have a new member, isn't that just great?"

Kazuki was attacked from behind by his sister as she smiled widely. "I knew our talk wasn't pointless. I'm so happy you came around."

Kazuki patted his sister's arms which were wrapped around him. "Yeah, yeah, you're such a wise little sister. But know that I'm doing this for myself more than you or Sayuri."

"Welcome to the club, Kazuki-kun," Haruhi said with a smile. "It'll be nice to have someone new and a bit more calm in this hectic club.

"Oh yeah, a new member," Hikaru said as him and his brother gave each other a thumbs up. "Don't try to steal our clients now."

"It's whoever they like more," Kazuki said with a sly grin.

"I'm happy that you joined, I didn't doubt you for a moment," Kaoru said with a thumbs up. Kazuki's heart fluttered a bit from the complement.

"I'm happy you were so confident about that."

Suddenly, a female's voice was heard. "So a new member has joined the club." There was a sound of an electric motor and the floor rumbled a bit. Kazuki then saw a girl rising from a pedestal out of the ground.

"Another bird joining this flock of birds on the way to woo the hearts of girl all over the school. A new person to call family and a fellow host," the girl continued. The raven recognized her as third year Renge Houshakuji. He had seen her around the club, be it she was the self-appointed manager.

She pointed down at him with a serious face. "Kazuki Hiro!"

Kazuki immediately stood up with his heels together, back straight, and chin raised. "Yes, ma'am."

"Don't you dare think that anyone could just walk in here and become a host. It takes skills, stamina, discipline, and charm. Do you have all those?"

"I have everything I need to be successful. The only thing I lack is you by my side."

Renge put her hand to her chin with a smile. "Ooooh, charming." She got down from her pedestal and walked over to him. "Okay, Kazuki, you're in, but there are still something we have to go over."

"Renge, honey, that's my job," Kyoya said matter a factly.

"No fair, I want to do it," she whined, puffing out her cheeks.

Kazuki smiled and silently whispered, "I ship it."

"Fine, you do all of the paperwork stuff," Renge said, turning towards Kazuki. "We are going to do the most important thing of them all; picking your type."

"My type?" Kazuki echoed.

"Yeah, basically what kind of guy you are. Tamaki, with his charm and passion, is the princely type, those little devils are the mischievous type, the ice king himself is the cool type, and our very own Haruhi is the natural type. We used to have a strong-silent and lolita types, but they're gone."

"So basically I need to be thrown into a category so it's easier for girls to figure out if they like me or not."

"Ooh, he's a smart one."

"I can't really think of one," Kaoru said.

"None come to mind," his twin added and they shrugged at each other. "I didn't get a chance to see him with the girls."

Haruhi stared at Kazuki, studying him. "Well, to me is is kind of the opposite of Tamaki-senpai," she said. The statement earned her a few confused stares. "It's just, senpai charms a girl and revolves more around making her feel special and he does it all with this dramatic aura. Especially when he uses those nicknames." Haruhi made an annoyed face at the notion. "Kazuki is more flirty and playful in a calm way. He is okay with speaking with someone and will approach them if they look lost, but he would eventually let them be once he's done if that makes sense."

"So I'm a flirt?" Kazuki said hesitantly, not sure if he got the picture. "One moment." He took out his phone and selected Sayuri's contact on the list.

_K: Hey, what is my type?_

Kazuki was a bit surprised by how fast Sayuri responded.

_S: a masochist_

_K: Not like that. I mean if I was in a category of guy types, what would it be?_

_S:um_

_S: player_

_K: ...k_

Kazuki looked up at the group. "I've been told I'm a player."

"So you're the playboy," Renge said a bit too seriously. "Ah, I see it. Wooing the girls with your sly comments and charm. Having them found over your open yet reserved nature, only to have to tell them that it can not be. You will never be able to have any, but yet you have them all."

Kazuki scoffed. "Do I really give off the vibe?"

"Yeah," Aiko said. "Plus you're attractive, so the girls will totally go for you." She said this as she poked his beauty mark under his left eye.

"Okay," he dragged out. "So that's it, I'm a host?"

"You still need to have an official appointment," Kyoya said. "Other than that, you're in."

Kyo-ya~" Tamaki said in a sing-song voice as he approached his fellow third-year classmate. "What are you up to?" the blonde question in his usual happy tone.

"Just looking through our new host's files," Kyoya answered, fingers darting over the keyboard.

"Must you always go into people's personal files? I'm almost positive it's against the school rules."

"I was given permission from your father when we first started the club. We need to know who we are allowing in here, especially a new host."

The blonde leaned over ts he could see the screen. There was a picture of Kazuki in the corner along with his information. "Find anything interesting?"

"Well, yes. The first thing is actually his name." He scrolled up to the top of his document. _Kazuki Shigure Hiro_.

"Shigure," Tamaki said. "That's odd."

"I also thought it was very interning also," Kyoya said. "It is extremely rare for Japanese patents to give their child a middle name. I would have understood if either his father or mother were American or something along the lines, but they are both Japanese."

"Did they do the same with Aiko?" Tamaki questioned.

"I thought that also," Kyoya said, opening a new tab. Kazuki's window shrunk and Aiko's popped up on the other side. "Aiko doesn't have a middle name. Also, her blood type is A while his is O."

Kyoya looked over at Tamaki, who had a confused expression on his face.

"Uh, Kyoya, what does that mean?"

The raven haired teen let out an exasperated sigh. "You inherit your blood type from your parents. Shuu Hiro, their father, is type AB and their late mother's is type A. People with A and AB can't have children with O or AB."

"But that doesn't make sense, Kazuki and Aiko are siblings."

"That what the file says, but not blood siblings."

"Does it say anything about adoption?"

"It doesn't," Kyoya answered and turned back to the laptop. "And the final thing is this: it says he studied abroad in England since he was eight to fifteen, but his past test scores say that he is only just above average in English."

"Huh, if he spends seven years there, he should be spectacular in English, completely fluent."

"My exact thoughts," Kyoya murmured.

"Well, Kyoya," Tamaki said, his enthusiastic grin returning. "It looks like we have a mysterious host in our hands."

Kyoya looked back at the screen. He stared at Kazuki's picture, and his turquoise eyes seemed to stare back. "Or a secretive one."


	4. Chapter 4

"You're not Kazuki," Sayuri said in disbelief. "He would never do something like that."

"Calm down," Kazuki said with a roll of his eyes. He invited his friend to come over after school because he wanted to tell her the news in person. She was sitting on one of the chairs in his room, nibbling on a cookie. "I joined the host club, big deal."

"Exactly!" she exclaimed. "After all this time trying to not be on the spot, you're asking for it to be put on you."

"It could be fun."

"You could be found out."

"So what?"

"Are you listening to yourself?"

"Will it really be that bad if I was?" Kazuki said with a look that pleaded for her to understand. He was asking himself the question more than her.

"I just don't understand you," she said with an exasperated sigh. "You go from not wanting to go into that room to dedicating your time and energy to it."

"Just think of it; I meet new people, which will make my connections grow, I can have some fun, spend a bit more time with Kaoru, and get out of your hair at times." He listed each point, raising a finger each time. "Sayuri, I feel like I'm holding you down at times and I hate that. Besides, what I have now isn't the life I want."

"So receiving your title as an upper class once again, going to one of the best school in the area, not having to worry about a business being shoved onto you, and having so much free time isn't what you want?"

"Why are you so against it?" Kazuki spat, harsher than intended. "I made a selfish choice for one, so what? Can't I have fun and give my life some meaning? I spent six years of my goddamn life serving others and putting their wants before my own! Do yo-" he cut himself off before finishing his rant. He turned away from his friend and took a breath. He hated yelling at people, it leads to too much trouble. He made his way to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He splashed his face a few times with cold water, wetting his bangs, which stuck to his forehead. He turned off the tap and looked into the mirror, his reflection staring back at him.

_Calm down, Kazuki. You don't need to yell at anyone, especially Sayuri. She has done so much for you and you need to be more calm about it._

A knock come from the door. "Hey, did you drown yourself?" Sayuri asked.

Kazuki smirked and opened the door. "Do you really think I'll die by drowning? That is so anticlimactic."

"What if you jump out of a helicopter, juggling fire sticks, blindfolded over the ocean. And when you're in the water, the blindfold slips down to your neck and then gets stuck on something which causes you to die."

"You have my death all figured out," he said, patting the shorter girl on the head she swatted his hand.

"Don't pat me. On a random note, can I braid her hair and tell you this story about this jerk in my class?"

'Sure." The two made their way out of the bathroom. Sayuri sat on the couch and Kazuki did so also between her legs. She spoke about the asshole of a guy you dared to bother her while she was napping in class.

"Finally, the teacher sided with me because I knew the answer when he thought I didn't."

"Good on you."

"Kazuki, about the host club thing," she said, sounding more solemn. "I didn't mean to come off as rude, I just care about it. And, although I tease you for it a lot, you're not the only clingy person. I do have other friends, yeah, but you're still my favorite and the most fun to be with. I just don't want to lose more time with you. It's just, it's like you just came back to me."

Kazuki scoffed at his friend. "I understand you as much as you do me. Sayuri, you're my favorite person and the only one I can call a friend. I will never leave you without telling you first. I wouldn't want to in the first place. Just because we have different afterschool clubs doesn't mean I'm going to disappear. And I want to stay here as much as you want me to. You really think I would give up the chocolate whenever I want it?"

"Of course not, you have your priorities in check," the blonde said as she flicked is forehead.

* * *

After a long day at school longs day of school, Kazuki was ready to go home and play with his rabbit. Only when he was about to leave the front gates of the school did he remember that he had to report to the club room. _This is going to take some getting used to._

The student made his way to the club room, hoping that no one had noticed his absence. Kazuki opened the club room door and was a bit disappointed when he saw that the room was already filled with girls.

"Kazuki, you made it!" a voice cheered. Kazuki saw Tamaki came towards him with a smile. "I almost thought that you weren't going to show up."

Kazuki let out a short laugh. "Please think better of me. I said I would join, so here I am."

"That's great, oh I'm so glad you decided to join. The club seemed like it was missing something once Mori and Honey left, and it makes me so happy that you decided to be with us."

Kazuki clapped his hands together. "Okay, so where do we start?"

Tamaki placed his hand on Kazuki's back and began to guide him further into the room. "Well, the girls here don't really who you are yet, so we designed a game to help with that."

Kazuki then noticed a stage in the middle of an open area in the room, one he had never seen before. He saw that the rest of the host were already up there. The twins were obviously messing with Haruhi as she just gave them annoyed looks and Kyoya was writing in his notebook.

"Kazuki, nice to see that you make it," Kyoya said. "I was just about to send the twins to capture you. Oh, I mean get you." He gave a smile that irked Kazuki.

"Well, I'm here now," Kazuki gave with a smile.

"Hello, all you lovely ladies," Tamaki said, addressing their audience. "It fills me with such enthusiasm that you took your time to come and meet our new host." Tamaki looked at Kazuki and gestured for him to come over. "Come introduce yourself."

Kazuki stepped forward and looked at the group of students. "Hey everyone, thanks for coming. I'm Kazuki Hiro, it's wonderful to be part of the club and I hope to get to know you all."

The girls were already swooned by him, giggling, blushing, and cheering for their new host.

"I'm sure you'd all like to get to know a bit about Kazuki before setting an appointment with him, so we set up a little question and answer."

"We will be playing along just so it's more fun for us all," Tamaki said with a smile. He then held up a sign and passed one to Kazuki. It was a bit like a mini stop sign, one said had a green 'yes' while the other had 'no' in red. Kazuki then realized that the other host had one also. "We will only be answering the yes or no questions to allow our newest host to take the spot. So, let the questions begin."

Dozens of girl rose their hands, begging to be picked. Renge, who stood at the edge of the stage, pointed to a girl with short black hair on the right. "You, what is your question?"

"Why did you decide to join the host club?" she asked enthusiastically.

"A question you should have been expecting," Renge commented as she turned to Kazuki.

"Well, it seemed like a good opportunity to meet new people and have some fun while doing it."

Some girls rolled their eyes at the generic answer while others smiled.

"Are you in a relationship?" a girl with bright blue eyes asked.

The twins and Kyoya held their sides up on the 'no' side. Tamaki, with a gleeful smile, turned his to 'yes' and looked starry-eyed at Haruhi. She gave him a blank look and held up 'no'. The girls all shrieked at Tamaki's acknowledgment to a relationship. The blonde looked down at the sign and let out a laugh.

"Sorry, ladies, wrong side," he said slyly, flipping the side.

Kazuki rolled his eyes and held up the red side. "I've been single for a little over a year now." He smirked and added. "So ladies, I'm open. Oh, and guys."

"You're bi?" Kaoru asked.

"Oh, yeah, that wasn't mentioned," the other said sending a playful wink at the twin. _Oh my god, what the hell, why did I just do that? I'm such an idiot I should just die right now. I just ruined everything that ever was and could have been ._

To Kazuki surprise, Kaoru let out a laugh and rolled his eyes, reacting perfectly to the joke.

A girl with freckles asked, "Have you been outside of Japan before?"

All host but Haruhi held up a yes.

"I actually studied abroad in England for a few years," Kazuki said. "It was an amazing experience, maybe I'll tell you about it later."

"England," Kyoya said from next to him. "You don't really give off the vibe."

"It's been some time," Kazuki said. "I was mostly with other people from Japan, but I had a fair amount of exposure through my years." Kyoya raised a brow at the others vague response but didn't push any further.

"Did you ever go to France?" Renge asked exactly . "If you went to Europe, you had to have gone to France. I miss it at times, but maybe we can go together."

"Sounds great," Kazuki said and cleared his throat. "Any more questions?"

The questions went on for some time, ranging from his hobbies to his favorite foods. He answered the best he could while making sure he kept up his 'playboy' act. After some time they dismissed the little gathering and started their appointments.

"So I just sit and talk with the girl, that simple?" Kazuki aid as he said on one of the sofas.

"Yeah, it's actually not that hard," Haruhi said. "Just do what you did last time and don't make anything feel forced. It can be really fun if you try."

"Thanks," Kazuki said as she walked away. Not long after, Yuki and a girl came over.

"Hello again, Yuki," Kazuki said with a smile and wink.

"Hi," she said meekly as she sat down. "I thought you said you weren't going to be hosting."

"Well, after I saw how hurt you were after I said that, I knew I had to return your smile somehow." He turned to the other girl. "What's your name, doll?"

The girl with short maroon hair smile and said, "I'm Nanami, I'm grateful I was able to meet you so quickly."

"I'm the grateful one to have two beautiful girls request me, the novice. You two really are blessings."

Kazuki soon got the hang of how the club worked. He could get some time with an individual or group of girls. He would tell them stories or answer questions, whatever they wanted. Although people already said he could be a natural flirt, the whole thing became a bit more noticeable and intentional. He was a bit shock anytime he notice he wore a genuine smile on his face. _Maybe the club was a good idea._

"Kazuki?" a voice said, snapping him back into reality.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said to the girl he was hosting.

"Is something wrong, you looked strange."

"I was just realizing that our time is almost up, a sad enough thought itself."

"Oh," she said looking down in her lap with a small smile. "I was asking if you has any events you wanted to plan?" she asked him with a questioning look.

"Well, it may sound silly, but I kind of what to do a game of hide and go seek."

"Oh, we had something like that during Halloween last year."

"I heard, but this time it will just be you girls, no trap or anything and the whole school is our area."

"Why don't you suggest it?" she asked with eyes filled with excitement.

"Because," he said, raising her chin, "a girl like you would be impossible to find."

Her face flushed at the comment and her eyes growing wide.

The two talked for a bit longer before she had to go. Kazuki said goodbye to her, his final customer for the day. Once the door closed he collapsed onto the sofa.

"First day hosting, how was it, Kazuki?" Kaoru asked as he approached Kazuki with a cup of water.

"It was good," he said as he took the cup with a nod. "It was the most talking I have done in a single school day, but, I have to say, it was really nice."

"I'm happy you enjoyed it. It will get easier, promise."

"Yeah, well, you've been doing this for over a year, I bet you don't even remember the struggle. The girls love you," Kazuki said, throwing a playful punch. O _h god, I'm actually talking to him, like I'm not staring at him from afar like a creep. And he has no idea. Am I flirting or is he just taking it as a casual conversation? I don't care, it's a conversation._

"Oh, I remember," he said with a laugh. "Hikaru and I were so lost at first. We kind of isolated ourselves from people when we were younger, so it was a huge step up. He didn't even know where to start. I guess I was a bit like you. At least you have us this time around, so you have my support."

"Thanks for that," Kazuki said with a smile.

"No problem, we're like a family in this club."

"Is that why I hear Tamaki refer to Kyoya as Mommy?"

Kaoru let out a laugh the Kazuki could swear could warm anyone's heart. "Boss does that because he's who he is."

"Nice to know I'm hanging with the right group of people."

* * *

Kazuki looked around the corner down the hall, searching for any students. His breath was coming out hard and his feet were jittering, telling him to run. The only thing more surprising than that fact that was actually sweating was that he was wearing a huge grin on his face.

The girl from yesterday had told Tamaki about Kazuki's hide-n-seek idea. The juvenile host immediately approved it and had it arranged to play the next day. The hosts had to hide and the girls would go out and find them.

And so the game had started and they were in for a bit over an hour and a half. Kazuki had almost gotten caught a few times, but he was able to get by the girls without getting tagged. That was one rule of the game, you aren't out until you're touched.

And Kazuki was lucky of that rule because at the very instant he turned his head, he heard a girl shout, "There he is!"

Kazuki stole a single glance at the mob of girls before he darted down the hall in the opposite direction. He was looking frantically for somewhere to hide, knowing there would be no fun if they knew where he was. Kazuki found a storage closet and opened the door, having it be his best bet. He was all too shocked when he saw who was inside.

"Kaoru?" Kazuki questioned as he opened the door.

"Kazuki?" the other said, the name coming out more of a question than a title. Kazuki heard the footsteps of the girls coming from down the all. They sounded more like stampeding elephants than daughters of wealthy families. Kazuki, being the competitive person he was, refused to lose the game so easily. He gave the other host a glance before rushing into the small closet and slamming the door shut.

"Kazuki, what are y-"

"Shh," the other hushed, placing his hand over Kaoru's mouth. His breath was uneasy caused by the extreme amount of running he was doing. He was a fairly fit guy, but he never ran so hard in his life. His face was flushed and he tried to calm himself.

He heard the group of girls go by and waited for their footsteps to fade. He lowered his hand from his follow host's mouth and sighed. "Good, they're gone."

"Uh, Kazuki, can you back up some?" Kaoru asked. The raven didn't notice that their bodies were pressing against each other.

Kazuki tried to stay come and composed, well, as much as he could in his current state. "Y-Yeah, they're gone, so I will just get out now and find somewhere else to hide." He placed his hand on the knob of the closet to open it. But it didn't move. Kazuki let out a nervous laugh and tried again, but the knob was stiff as ever. "Uh oh."

"What's wrong?" Kaoru asked.

"Um, the door won't open," Kazuki said uneasily.

"What?!" He shifted so he could be closer to the door, their bodies moving against each other. The twin tried to open the door to no avail. He banged on the door and called out for someone to help them, but there was no sound outside the closet.

"This is just great," Kaoru said. They couldn't see each other, the light coming in from under the door was the only source of light, which only outlined the shapes in the space.

"Do you have your phone on you?" Kazuki asked. He could tell the Kaoru was upset, he was a bit also. He was by himself with Kaoru and he had no idea what will happen. How long will they be stuck here, heated bodies unbearably close?

"Oh yeah, I do," the other said. He moved around some more, his body moving against the other once more. It took Kazuki a lot of willpower not to react in any way. The auburn haired host was able to get his phone out. The screen lit up, illuminated his face. Kazuki wasn't sure if it was his own eyes or the color of the light, but Kaoru's face looked a bit flushed. Maybe he was also running away from the girls before I came along.

Kaoru pressed a few buttons and put the phone up to his ear. Kazuki heard the ringing, but no answer came.

"Pick up, pick up," Kaoru seemed to beg like his frantic chanting could make the person pick up. There was no answer, which unfazed the guy. He tried his brother twice and the rest of the host, but none picked up.

"It would make sense that they wouldn't pick up," Kazuki said. "They are focused on the game. Also, you are the opponent and they don't know what you want."

"Ugh," the other groaned. "So we are stuck in here until someone comes, great." He turned off his phone, the lack of light plunged them into the darkness once again. Kaoru moved again, and almost squarish movement.

"Sorry about this," Kazuki said.

"It's fine."

Kazuki looked around the realization of where he was dawning own him. The all too real memories of being in such a dark, enclosed room made his already pounding heart boom louder in his chest. He rose his hand and waved it around until he found Kaoru's shoulder. He grasped it and placed his head on it, trying to find something solid when his mind was spinning.

"Uh, Kazuki," Kaoru said, feeling a bit more uncomfortable that the guy being so close.

"Just give me a moment," the student said, trying to calm his nerves. Without even noticing it, he was breathing heavily against Kaoru's neck and had his chest own the other's. _You're not alone, Kaoru is in here with you. There is nothing to be afraid of, you are going to get out soon, just think of that. There's still light coming from under the door, so you're good. You're okay, just breathe._ Kazuki slid his head off of the other's shoulder and let out a sigh. "I'm good, sorry about that again."

"A-Are you okay?" Kaoru asked and Kazuki could hear him moving about.

"Yeah, I'm good, I'm just not a fan of being in really dark places."

"It's fine," Kaoru asked. "At least you're not alone."

_I swear, God has blessed me with an angel that I do not deserve. I just want to freaking kill him yet I don't want a person to touch a hair on his head. He's so freaking amazing, it's a sin. Ugh, a sinful angel, that sound surprisingly hot._

Kazuki reached a hand over passed Kaoru and felt behind him. There was a box that was filled with books, so it was pretty sturdy. "You can sit on this so there's more room," Kazuki said.

Kaoru nodded and hopped onto the boxes. He rocked a bit, but Kazuki placed his hands on either side of the twin and the box to make it keep still. He placed a hand on the twin's thigh and asked, "You good?"

Kaoru let out a squeak like sound and crossed his legs. "I'm o-okay."

It took only a moment for the reality of the situation to come crashing down own Kazuki. The crossing of legs, funny noises, stuttering. "Kazuki, are you...aroused?" Kazuki asked not knowing how to phrase the question.

The twin didn't answer, which Kazuki could only take as an acknowledgment. The student knew that exercises could differently help cause arousal, plus he wasn't helping with all the moving and touching.

Kazuki let a devilish smile cross his face. It stuck his hand out and nudged Karu's crotch, which was was stiff.

"Kazuki , w-what th-"

"Should I help you with this?" he asked slyly.

"K-Kazuki you don't hav-"

_Like I could resist._ "Kaoru," Kazuki said in a low, almost seductive tone. "You really think I could just leave a fellow host in this painful stage? Besides, what would people think if you left here with this?" Kazuki gripped Kaoru's erection through his pants. The younger one let out a whimper and placed a hand over his mouth to silence himself. His other hand went to grip the other host's shirt, clenching the fabric tightly.

"If the two of us were trapped in here and you left with this problem, people would talk," Kazuki continued, not stopping his movement over Kaoru's crotch. "I don't really care about my rep at this school, but I doubt you want yours to plummet from something like this. Especially," his fingers found the zipper of the trousers and begin to pull it down, "if it can be fixed."

Kazuki didn't need much light for him to complete the task. The darkness was bitter-sweet, Kaoru couldn't see him, but it upset Kazuki that he couldn't see the other's face. He unbuttoned the others pants to make it easier. He continued to rub Kaoru's growing erection as said boy tried his best not to squirm and calm his erratic breathing. This only aroused Kazuki even more, each sound going straight to his groin. He knew that he would just have to deal with the torture and not touch himself, but it was worth it.

The raven male kissed the other under the ear, making him shudder. Kazuki then nibbled on his ear lightly, which caused Kaoru to gasp in an extremely erotic way. The sounds and movements made Kazuki want to ravish the whimpering male, but he knew it wasn't the time or place to do so. If he took too long, someone may come along before he even got started on the real thing.

Kazuki slid his hand under Kaoru's boxers and grasped his shaft firmly. Kaoru's let out a loud cry of pleasure as he tightened his grip on Kazuki's blazer. He thrust himself in Kazuki's hand, yearning for more friction that would aid his throbbing member.

"You have to stay quiet, Kaoru," Kazuki whispered into the other's ear. "If you're too loud, someone may hear you. Do you want someone to open the door and see you?"

Kaoru bit down on his hand and shook his head. Kazuki smirk although it went unnoticed due to the lack of light. Since he couldn't see the other host's face, although he was dying to, Kazuki decided to focus on the throbbing erection in his hand.

Kazuki pumped the shaft a few time, each one causing the Kaoru to squirm and let out a small mewl. Kazuki ran his thumb over the top of the member, his finger going just over the slit. He felt the pre-cum collected at the top and he used the substance as a lube. He moved his hand up and down the shaft at a teasingly slow pace. He enjoyed watching Kaoru's silhouette fidget under his touch, his body begging to be touched more intensely.

" _Ngh_...Ka-ah-zuki," Kaoru moaned. "This... _mhm_...isn't hel-helping."

Kazuki knew that this was nothing but tedious foreplay, but he couldn't help but mess with the boy. "Okay then. I will hurry and make you feel unrealistic pleasure," Kazuki said. He lowered himself so he was by Kaoru's legs. "You have to open your legs."

"Kazuki…" Kaoru said, unsure of the situation.

Kazuki squeezed the other's shaft ever so slightly to show that he was the one with the power in this situation. Kaoru let out a small yelp and complied, spreading his legs apart. Kazuki smiled a triumphant grin and moved between the other's legs. Not letting go of the erection, Kazuki licked the member. Kaoru let out a surprised gasp and then moaned. The sound only motivated Kazuki to continue. He licked the shaft from the base to tip, his tongue swirling around the head. He sucked lightly on the tip, causing a tremor to run through Kaoru. His own member was becoming aroused and he wanted to touch it so badly it was painful. But it wasn't the time to focus on himself, besides, he had been in this position before and knew he could overcome it again.

After traveling his tongue over it one final time, Kazuki skillfully took the whole member into his mouth. Kaoru let out an extremely loud and erotic wail as he thrust his hips upwards. Kazuki had to place a hand on the other's hips to prevent him to from triggering his gag reflexes.

He raised his head so only the very tip was still in his mouth and then went right made down. Kaoru tried his best to suppress another cry, but a loud moan escaped his lips. One hand was over his mouth, the other entangled in Kazuki's hair. Kazuki found his rhythm quickly, bobbing his head up and down the member. He kept his cheeks hollowed as he moved. Every time he raised his head, he would allow his tongue to circle the tip and he'd go back down until he felt the shaft hit the back of his throat.

Kaoru could barely focus as he felt as if he was being taken to another world. All he could feel was Kazuki warm mouth engulfing his throbbing member. The pleasure was almost unbearable and it was nearly impossible to stay silent. Kazuki continued, never breaking for a moment. Kaoru's cries of pressure fueled his every movement.

" _Ngh_... _ah_...Kazu- _ngh_ -ki, I'm... _ah_...st-stop, I- _ah_ , _ah_ ," Kaoru tried to speak, but his moans and cries mixed in. He fingers tighten in the others hair and he made a half-hearted attempt to pull the male off. Kazuki understood the message, but he didn't stop. He sped up his movements, which made Kaoru go into hysterics.

Kazuki gave one last, strong suck before Kaoru's whole body shuddered, finally reaching his limit. He released himself into Kazuki mouth. The black haired male didn't seem fazed by it at all; to Kaoru's surprise, he consumed every last drop. Kazuki finally raised his head from the other's now flaccid member. He wiped the saliva from the side of his mouth and chin with the back of his wrist.

"Kaz-" Kaoru started but was cut off by a sudden ringing. The sound made both hosts jolt in surprise. Kazuki realized that it was his phone and fished it from his pocket. He looked at the caller ID. He clicked the answer button and put the phone to his ear.

"Sup?" he said into the phone nonchalantly, as if his previous moment Kaoru never happened.

"Where are you?" Aiko asked, ignoring her brother's greeting.

"I can't really tell you that, that's cheating."

"The game is practically over. You and Kaoru are the only two who haven't been caught and I think this game will just go one forever. Besides, I need to find one of you. I made a bet with Shiro that I would find one of you and I haven't yet."

"Hope the penalty isn't too big," Kazuki said, looking in the direction of the host. Kazuki placed his hand over the microphone. "Fix yourself," he said to the other. He directed his attention back to his sister. "Well, I can't cheat. Someone has to find us."

Kazuki then heard footsteps coming closer and then stop. A second later, the door was opened, allowing light to flood into the small closet. Kazuki was blinded for a second. He then allowed his eyes to focus on his sister, who was smiling widely.

"Found you," she said, her voice also echoed from the phone. She then hung up her phone and looked behind Kazuki. "Is that Kaoru?"

As Aiko cheered that she found the both of them, Kazuki took the opportunity to look behind him, finally able to see the other properly. Thankfully, he listened to Kazuki and his pants were fixed in a way that made it look like nothing happened. Kaoru face was flushed a deep red and his teary looking eyes were staring at the ground.

"Kazuki," Aiko said. "Congratulate me already."

Kazuki rolled his eyes and stepped out of the closet. He patted his sister on the head like a cat. "Good job sister, you found me." She smiled at him and giggled. Kazuki turned around to speak to the other host. "Um, Kaoru, I-" Kazuki started, but Kaoru was out of the closet and running down the hall in an instant. Kazuki didn't process that the other just left until Kaoru's footsteps faded away.

"Where is he going?" Aiko questioned. "I found him, he better not try and hide again. But it doesn't count if I didn't tag him, crap."

Kazuki wasn't listening to his sister. He could only think one thing, _Oh, shit._

Kazuki and Aiko entered the room where the amount of chatter was more than normal. They found Sayuri sitting with a friend from her literary club. She didn't bother playing the game, saying that there was too much exercise involved.

"Kazuki, there you are," Tamaki said once he spotted the host. "We need to announce the winners. We were waiting for you."

"Oh, sorry," Kazuki said. He looked back at the two girls who gestured for him to join the group of hosts. He walked over to the others who were standing in front of the girls. Kazuki looked over to Kaoru, who was avoiding his gaze.

"Alright everyone," Tamaki said, which made the girls fall silence. "Thanks to all of you lovely ladies, were had a successful game. I hope you all had fun. Remember to thank Kazuki over here if you did, he did have this spectacular idea." They cheered and thanked Kazuki, who smiled politely. "Now, to announce the winners." Tamaki then listed asked each host where they hid when they were found and who discovered them. Haruhi was the first to be found in the rose maze. Tamaki followed after in the ballroom. Kyoya was found soon after in the second library. Hikaru was discovered hiding in the kitchen.

"What about you Kaoru?" Tamaki said.

Kaoru shuffled a bit before he said, "Aiko Hiro found me in the storage closet in the west wing."

"I sure did," Aiko said, clapping her hands repeatedly. "He was in there with my brother." The room fell silent and everyone stared at Kazuki.

Kazuki gave a sheepish smile to the girls and hosts that gawked at him. _Seriously, Aiko?_

"Is she serious?" Hikaru questioned him.

"Yeah," Kazuki answered. "I was found in the storage room in the west wing along with Kaoru." Kazuki looked at the girls. Some looked at him in confusion. Others looked at each other with mischievous looks and raised brows. A few were even blushing, probably imagining something perverted. _Well, they wouldn't be that far from the truth._

"Ladies, ladies," Kyoya said, trying to calm the girls. "Please do refrain to jumping to conclusions." He gave Kazuki a look. "They just so happened to hide in the same spot."

"Kyoya is right," Kazuki confirmed. "I didn't know Kaoru was in there. I just hid in there because I refused to be caught. The lock was messed up, so we were stuck in there until Aiko found us."

"What did you do?" a girl asked.

Kazuki smirked at the girl who asked the question. He let his eyes dart to Kaoru who looked unconformable. "Well, I was thinking of what I would have done if one of you lovely ladies were in there with me." The comment put the girls in a frenzy.

The winners were each awarded free issues of the host club magazine, which Kazuki just rolled his eyes at. When everything was said and done, the girls left the club room, leaving the hosts, Aiko and Sayuri.

Kazuki looked around as everyone was getting their stuff, searching for Kaoru. He couldn't find him, so he called out for his twin. "Hikaru, where's your brother?"

Hikari approached him and replied, "He already went to the car, said something about not feeling well."

Kazuki felt his guts churn inside him. He said goodbye to the twin and made his way over to Sayuri.

"Something wrong?" she asked as he sat down the sofa next to her.

He rested his head on her shoulder and said, "I think I really screw things up."


	5. Chapter 5

"I just don't understand this," the oldest male said. "He should be dead, he's just a butler."

"He can't die, he's a demon," Aiko snapped, trying to focus on the show and not her brother.

"They can still die."

"Shut up, Hiro," Kazuki snapped at him. "You're ruining it."

"What did you say, punk?" the other side, rising from his seat.

"If you want to watch anime with us, don't criticize one of the best characters."

"Don't you think you two should be getting along," Aiko said. "Like for starters, calling him by his first name. We are all 'Hiro' here, his name is Shou."

Shou's face took a look of disgust. "I'm not acknowledging him as a Hiro." With that, he got up and left the room.

Kazuki sighed. He didn't even understand why he was back so early, the guy wasn't supposed to be home for another week. He picked up Qin who was laying on his lap and held him to his face. He nuzzled the rabbit's nose, the action always calming him.

"I really wish you two would try to like each other," Aiko said.

"I'm all for trying, your brother is the one that doesn't like me. He thinks I'm just some leech that drains the family of resources. To him, I did not earn my title as an upperclassman and I got here the easy way."

"We both know that your life wasn't easy," she said, and they both fell silent. The looked at the screen, watching their show. "You may not have been a demon, but you were a kick-ass butler back then."

"Meaning I was good at beating people up or being on the receiving end?" he questioned with a smile and a raised brow.

"You know what I mean," she said. "I don't know if I told you this, but whenever I went over to the Miyu's place and saw you training, I would just watch."

"That doesn't sound stalkerish in the slightest."

The girl shoved the other.

"I was actually thinking of picking back up on training," Kazuki said. "I feel as if I have accumulated some rust over time."

"Would you have time even with the club activities?" Aiko asked.

The male shrugged. "I'll see."

"Are you stressed?" his sister asked sincerely.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when you first moved in with us, you were really stressed and anties. When you were like that, you would run laps around the property or go to the nearest dojo and challenge people. It's how you let off steam." She looked over to Kazuki who was a bit shocked. "What, you thought I didn't pay attention to you back then?"

The scoffed with a grin. "Totally a stalker."

* * *

The Miyu manor was quiet, which was common that late in the night. It was about one at night and all the family members were asleep. Their personal servants somewhere close by just in case they were needed. The other servants retired to their homes or the servants' quarter. The only people awake were the few guards position around the area.

Well, there was Kazuki.

Unlike the other servants, Kazuki stayed at the manor unless instructed otherwise. He didn't go see his family when the opportunity was offered to the servants. Coming and going on his own free will wasn't a thing. He pockets remained empty when the others got their weekly pay.

But what was the point of paying someone that you own? That someone who had to listen to every word you said. That person that you bought as if they were a pet. That someone that couldn't leave if they wanted to.

To the Miyus, Kazuki was that someone.

The teen sighed as he walked the marble walkway. It was spring and the cherry blossoms were in bloom. The pink petals looked magical under the light of the full moon.

He couldn't sleep for some reason that night. He had an odd feeling that something was off, but he didn't dare wake his mistress. Even though he could have been punished for walking in the private halls after curfew, the teen was sure that checking the house was necessary.

Kazuki heard a rustling sound somewhere in front of him. He immediately put up his guard, listening intently for another sound. The sound came again, so he knew he wasn't imagining it. He went behind a tree, peering out from the side to inspect the area where the sound emerged from. He reached behind his back and pulled the knife out from under his shirt. He began to mentally list all of the scenarios that could play out. He knew what to do from an array of outcomes. From it being middle schoolers who snuck onto the property as a dare to an expert level assassin, Kazuki was prepared.

So when the figure launched from his hiding spot, Kazuki knew exactly what to do. It took him a split second to analyze that it was a single man, a bit taller than himself. The person had a knife like Kazuki, which we charging right for him. Kazuki ran towards him, his weapon near his chest. He ducked low and kicked the man off his feet. The intruders stumbled but caught him in a skillful way. The man charged again, and Kazuki jumped over him because he knew his opponent would immediately go for his feet. Once he was behind the guy, Kazuki hooked his foot on the other's ankles and moved it to the side so the man was forced into a high split. Kazuki drove his elbow into his opponent upper spine, the other let out a grunt of pain and fell to the ground. The teen took the other's arm, removing his weapon, and twisting the arm.

"Who the hell are you?" Kazuki asked a second away from dislocating the person's arm.

"Ugh," the person grunted. "You win."

"Huh?" Kazuki was slightly shocked by the statement. The moment he dropped his guard, the man took his arm back and rolled over. He grabbed Kazuki by his arm and pushed him to the ground, hitting his head on the marble walkway.

"Don't let your guard down, even for a moment, Zuzu," the person said. It took Kazuki a second to realize who the masked person was.

"Izumi, you bastard," Kazuki shouted, struggling to get out of his comrade's grip. "Get the hell off of me."

Izumi did that, realising the younger teen. Kazuki got up and rotated his shoulder with a groan.

"What the hell was that about?" Kazuki asked.

"I wanted to see you," Izumi said with a smug smile.

"You should have just stayed instead of going home."

"I just couldn't sleep once I got home," the blonde said. He walked over to Kazuki and draped his arms over the younger teen's shoulder. Izumi kissed him right next to the ear. "I couldn't stop thinking about how lonely you are without me."

Kazuki sighed, although he had a smile on his face. "Yes, yes. Thank you, love, for coming to my aid."

"Although you need some more training, you're such a noob."

"I've been training for the past four years, so shut the hell up."

"You're still rusty."

Kazuki, quite angered by the statement, drove the heel of his shoe into the other's groin. Izumi let out a wheezing breath and his knees went weak. He let go of the smaller teen and fell to the girl.

"Cheap shot," Izumi said with a groan. "Don't do that again. I doubt we can have any fun tonight now."

Kazuki's cheeks flushed slightly and he turned around. "I'm going back to my room."

"Wait for me," the blonde said as he tried to get up.

"Sleep outside."

"You're so cold, Zuzu

"Don't call me that!"

* * *

Kazuki was shaken awake from his light slumber. With a snort, he jolted and looked to his right where the shaking was coming from. It was Aiko, jerking his shoulder. The movement scared Qin, who was also sleeping, and he leaped out of Kazuki's lap.

"A-Aiko, what are you doing," Kazuki said, pushing off his sister.

"You fell asleep like halfway through," she said with a frown.

He guy rubbed his neck and sat up properly. "Sorry, do you want to rewatch it?"

Aiko gave him a smile for his kind suggestion. She turned off the muted tv and said, "no, you seem tired, probably from the game earlier. Go to bed already so you have the energy to deal with people in the morning."

"No, I'm serious, let's rewatch it, besides, it's the final episode."

"Um, okay," Aiko said, putting her attention back to the television.

* * *

Kazuki was barely able to complete his school day. His constant nodding off in class had landed him in a world of complaints from the teachers. They called him out multiple times, but luckily for him, he had the answer.

The constant state of semi-unconsciousness helped him avoid much interaction with Kaoru who was so obviously diverting away from Kazuki. He knew he stepped way out of line the other day, but he didn't want it to be like this, especially if they were going to be in a club together for the remainder of the school year. More importantly, he would like to have so kind of relationship with him that is more than just classmates, friends at least, though he was secretly wishing for more.

_Ugh, stop thinking of that you stupid. How about you get it so that he would like to make eye contact with you before you try to do something like that again._

Kazuki was never that kind of guy to let things get out of hand. If he wanted something fixed, he would deal with it as soon as he could, and this shouldn't be any different. He was determined to at least apologize for the time being, even if Kaoru didn't forgive him.

He left the class when he was dismissed for lunch. He usually ate with Sayuri in the cafeteria, neither one of them really wanting to eat with any other person. Kazuki saw her sitting in their usual spot, already consuming her food. He was a bit surprised to see Aiko there too, her head resting on the blonde's shoulder.

"What's up?" he asked as he sat with them.

"I think your sister is going to die of exhaustion," Aiko said flatly, like the death of a good friend wouldn't faze her.

"He kept me up all night," Aiko grumbled and then looked to her brother. "it's not my fault that your fictional character died."

"They were so cute together," Kazuki said, slamming his hand own the table. "I will say it again like I did all last night, Doll was a great character, one of the best of the arc, and could have had a lot of development if she stuck around at the manor."

"She's a kidnapper and murderer!" Aiko exclaimed, life seemingly being restored to her.

"So is Ciel!"

"He did it because he had to," she leaned forward so she could stare into his eyes. "Those kids were traumatized, they couldn't live. He wouldn't have done it if he didn't know it was right. He didn't kill his aunt who was two seconds away from doing it to him, which shows he isn't some cold-blooded killer."

"Doll was threatening to kill him too, Red is a whole different story."

"Guys," Sayuri said, putting up her hands. "Calm down. I know that it's an amazing show but calm it. Snake lives and joins the manor-"

"Spoilers much," Aiko said with a glare, cutting her off.

"And there's another girl if you read the manga. It's like the third arc after that. But, seriously, who needs a girl, Ciel has Sebastian." The girls shared a mischievous look and Kazuki just rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going to ship it," he said.

"Transporting packages?" a voice asked. The group looked over to see Kyoya standing over them. "My family has good connections to a transporting company if you can't go with your own."

"Thanks?" Kazuki said, looking over to the girls who were also trying to hold back laughter.

"No problem, but I came to get you," he said, pushing up his glasses. "We are having a meeting in the club room."

"I thought that was only an after school thing," the second-year said.

"The host club is more than an afterschool club, you have to learn that, Kazuki," he said sly. "Do you have some sort of commitment issue?"

Kazuki glared at him spitefully. "I do not, why would you think that?"

"Just a simple question, I would hate to have to drop you because you don't want to participate in club activities. It would be a shame, the girls love you."

"I have no problem with that," Kazuki said. "I would hate to upset the girl that spend their time in your club."

"It isn't club, but Tamaki's. However, I do have access to student files and I make the decisions who can be a host."

Kazuki stood and looked at Kyoya and said, "I'm happy I made the cut." The two locked eyes for a second, gray eyes staring down unwavering turquoise ones. It lasted for only a second and Kazuki passed Kyoya. The tension between the two was so thick, it was almost palpable.

"Excuse me, ladies," Kyoya said, dismissing himself.

The girls looked at each other with confused looks.

"What was that?" Aiko asked.

"Not sure," Sayuri replied.

"That tension was ridiculous."

"Yeah, and they looked like they were discussing something no one else knew about."

"Is this shipping material?"

"Anything is shipping material."

"Kazuki, you made it," Tamaki said as the younger host entered the room. He took the long way to the club, allowing himself to clear his mind before he joined for any sort of activity. Because of this, Kyoya had already beaten him to the room. Kazuki didn't even bother to make eye contact with him, he was so fed up with him at this point. He knew the Ootari was going to be someone he had to watch out for.

"I didn't know we had to be together during lunch," Kazuki said.

"Oh, it's not every day," Tamaki said. "Oh, I don't have your email, I message things to all of the members so it is easier."

"That would make sense, we are in the 21th century. Here," he held out his phone and handed it to Tamaki to type in his information. The blonde took and did just that. Kazuki sent a message to him and the guy sent a message back. He also added Kazuki to the club's group chat, where Kazuki saved everyone's contact.

"Now since that is done, we can get to what needs to be discussed."

Kazuki joined the group so they can speak of Tamaki's newest idea. Kazuki tried to focus on what the club president was saying, but he couldn't completely take his focus off Kaoru. The twin was so uncomfortable it was too obvious to go unnoticed. He was stiff with his jaw clenched and his hands were rubbing on his pants. He only sent a few nervous glance Kazuki's way, but would never make eye contact.

He wanted so bad to fix things, yet Kazuki didn't know where to start. _How about; sorry for blowing you in the closet, it was out of line but I know you liked it as much as I did. Yup, that would totally make him forgive me. Or, it wasn't cool what I did, sorry about it. Let put it behind us and move on, also, can you please not report me?_

"Kazuki-kun?" Haruhi said, tearing him away from his thoughts. "How do you feel about that?"

"Uh, I don't have a problem with it," he said, having no clue what was even being discussed.

"Then it's settled, we'll set the schedule and the trip should be at the end of the month," Tamaki said with a smile.

The other host nodded and began to leave the room. Kazuki, not wanting to admit he didn't know what he agreed to, did the same. He caught Kaoru talking with his twin, looking a bit hastily to leave the room.

I guess this is my only chance until later.

"Hey, Kaoru," Kazuki said approaching the twin. It hurt him to see how much Kaoru tensed when Kazuki greeted him. Hikaru even gave a confused and slightly concerned looked to his brother.

"H-Hey, Kazuki," he said, trying to fake a smile.

"Mind if we talk for a second?"

Kaoru looked at his brother. "We really need to get going, may-"

"Please, just one minute," Kazuki said, trying his best not to outright beg Kaoru to hear him out.

"Just talk to him," Hikaru said with a shrug, as he started to walk towards the door. He rose a hand and said, "I think you guys have something to speak about anyways."

The twin looked towards Kazuki with his lips pressed together in anxiety.

Kazuki looked around the empty room, making sure no one would hear their conversation. "I, uh, I need to apologize for what happened yesterday. I was way, way out of line. It was just a weird impulse thing, I promise you I'm not that sort of guy who would just randomly do things like that. I can see if you resent me for it or even want to get me written up, bu-"

"I'm not going to do that," Kaoru said, looking at the ground. "It, it's just, um.."

Kazuki could tell it was hard for the other student to put his thoughts into words. He knew it was probably beyond uncomfortable for him, so he decided to make to easier

"Look up and try talking to me now," Kazuki said.

Kaoru looked up and saw the back of Kazuki's head. "Um, Kazuki?"

"I'm listening," he said. "I know this is hard for you, I guess it will be easier if you felt a little less pressured."

Kaoru gave him a confused looked but tried again regardless. "I do feel as if you...uh, kinda pinned me into a corner, which wasn't very...admirable. But, oh god this is so embarrassing," he mumbled under his breath, his cheeks flaming pink. "I won't say I didn't like it necessarily. It's just, it just all happened at once and I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with the whole thought of it."

Kaoru was shocked when he realized that Kazuki's small action of turning around helped him tremendously.

"Like I said, I'm sorry," Kazuki said, still not facing the other. "It was just so uncalled for and rude of me."

"It's fine," Kaoru said. "Let's just leave it at that."

"Don't forget, though," Kazuki said.

"What do you mean?" Kaoru asked, leaning over so he could see Kazuki's face.

The student's face was serious as he said, "You can also forgive someone, but you should never forget what they do. You know, just in case you want to get mad at me later."

"I don't think so," the twin said. "So, now what?"

Kazuki and him turned towards each other. "I don't know, you going to get a restraining order?"

Kaoru smiled his first real smile for the day. "No, I think I can trust you to not forcibly do something like that again."

_Next time you'll be begging for me to do it._ "Did you tell an-"

"No!" Kaoru shouted, shocking them both. "I, uh, no, I didn't tell anyone. I don't plan to."

"Nice to know that," Kazuki said with a smile. "One more thing, mind telling me what we were talking about earlier?"

* * *

Kazuki said goodbye to his lady client as she left the room. He smiled until the doors closed behind him, then let out a breath. He made his way over to where the twins and Haruhi were sitting.

"I don't see how you guys can keep this up," Kazuki said as he slouched further down into the sofa.

"It's not that hard," Haruhi said, putting away her notebooks.

"Yeah, you're being a wuss," Hikaru said with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm serious and one of them hinted at something very odd," Kazuki said.

"What did she say?" Kaoru asked.

"She said that I have such a large personality, but that usually means I 'lack in other areas'," he said. None of them caught on and he let out an exasperated sigh. "She said I have a small dick."

Kaoru choked on whatever he was eating. His cheeks were dusted pink and he patted his chest a few times to steady his breath. Haruhi froze for a moment, but bit her lip slightly and resumed her task of collecting her belongs.

"What?!" Hikaru questioned, shocked yet he had a small smile on.

"I swear," Kazuki said. "Aren't these girls supposed to be well behaved and such? Furthermore, I take high offense to that." Kazuki held his head high and crossed his arms. "I'm not lacking in length in any way."

"K-Kazuki…" Kaoru said, trying to compose himself. "You really shouldn't talk about this now."

"Why? We're all guys here," Kazuki said giving them a look. "Or I'm the only one that gets questioned about the size of my p-"

"KAZUKI!" a voice shouted, cutting off the male. All four turned to see Tamaki charging in their direction. "How dare you say such things in front of Haruhi?" The blonde places his hands over said host's ears.

Kazuki stared at the two, a bit confused about the situation. "Um, is he insecure about that kind of stuff?" Kazuki asked, trying to find the most logical answer.

The four other host looked at one another with mixed expressions.

"Boss," the twins said at once, "you didn't tell him about Haruhi's secret?"

"I thought you guys did," he said. "You're in the same class."

Then it all came to Kazuki. Haruhi's secret, not talking about penises, it all made sense. "Oh, I get it," Kazuki said, nodding his head. He got up and sat next to Haruhi with an understanding look. "I understand, no need to say another word. Male, female, in your case, trans, I accept them all."

"What!?" they all said in unison.

"I understand," he said, giving a few nods of his head. "I won't tell anyone I promise. I didn't know they were doing that kind of stuff in Japan, but I heard it's popular in America. But, whatever you identify as, you are a beautiful person."

They all stared at him once more, the guys with their jaws dropped. None of them were prepared for his thoughts.

"A very interesting hypothesis," Kyoya said, making himself noticed. "But that isn't the case here. Haruhi over here is a girl, born that way too."

"Eh?" Kazuki said, his face as confused as the others were just a moment ago. "You're serious?"

"Me being a trans is more believable than being a girl?" Haruhi questioned.

He raised his finger and opened his mouth to answer, but no explanation leaves his mouth. He places his hand on his chin and thought very hard. "Prov-"

"I don't need to prove anything," she said, giving the other a nasty glare, which made him scoot away from her in fear.

"That's sexual harassment," Kaoru said. Kazuki looked over at him and gave the auburn haired host a knowing look. The twin immediately turned red in the cheeks tried to continue drinking tea so no one would see his blushing cheeks.


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm not sure I want to go to the club today," Kazuki said.

"It's only been two weeks and you're already quitting, how unlike you," Sayuri said with a mocking tone.

Kazuki glared at her. "I can do something for my whole life, yet I will still tire of it at one point," Kazuki stated. "Hosting is actually very tiring and there are multiple times I just don't want to do anything. You should know that feeling, Sayuri, you never do anything, period."

The blonde nodded, knowing the truth had been spoken. "But you can't skip today, you're having your first dress-up thing. It's like cosplaying at school. Seeing all you guys dressed and all, it's quite captivating."

"When did you become so interested in the host club? You're the girl that didn't want me to join."

Sayuri hummed. "I just like seeing Haruhi crossdress, you know I _do_ request him at times," she said with a smile. "He's so cute every time he wears those feminine outfits."

Kazuki scoffed and tried to hold back his smile.

"What, you think I'm stupid or something?"

"Of course you're stupid, but that isn't the amusing part," he chuckled.

The glared at her friend and jabbed him in the gut with her elbow. He grunted and let out a wheezing noise.

"Bitch," he grumbled as he rubbed his side.

"Tell me what is the amusing part or you get another one."

Kazuki rolled his eyes and, even though they were the only two in the empty classroom, whispered, "Well, seeing Haruhi in the male uniform is already your daily dose of crossdressing."

Sayuri stared at him, lost in what he was saying. As if her thoughts clicked into place in a cartoon manner, her eyes grew wide. "No, no way, no way, no way!"

"Way," Kazuki said with a nod.

"Haruhi is a girl, as in doesn't have a p-"

"Yes, Sayuri, she's a girl," Kazuki answered. "Believe me, I was just as shocked."

"This is awful, oh my god, I can't even," Sayuri said. "Does that mean all my yaoi daydreams are just that, there's no way it can happen." The girl actually looked upset, like her whole world was crashing down.

"Please don't tell me you're serious," Kazuki said. "You think of that stuff?"

"Like you have never thought of that with characters from an anime, you wrote a freakin' Owari no Seraph smut."

"That's different, those are characters, we aren't."

"Oh, so you think," Sayuri sighed.

Kazuki was going to protest when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He looked down to see Kaoru's contact name displayed followed by a message: 'We're about to get dressed, get here before Kyoya gets upset -'

Kazuki smiled at the little emoji. Things between the two of them have gotten better. There was much less awkwardness and it helped them bond more. Although they haven't hung out or anything outside of the club and only really talked then and before class, Kazuki felt as if it was a good start to becoming closer to the other.

"I got to go, Yuri," Kazuki stated as he got out of his chair.

"See you later, Zuzu," she said with a smile.

The guy sent her a hard glare, his expression serious for once. "You know not to call me that," he said with a stern tone.

Sayuri bit her lip and looked down at the ground. "Oh, yeah, sorry. Have a good time I'll be there later if at all."

Kazuki sighed and tried to smile at her. "See you then." He left the room and made his way down the hall towards the club room. He knew his friend meant no harm but thinking about Izumi, his former love interest, rarely made Kazuki feel good about himself. Not only did the nickname sound stupid to him, it made him think of memories he rather stayed buried. Well, at least no think about at that moment.

Kazuki shook his head as if it made the thoughts and memories fly out of his mind. Kazuki stood in front of the club room doors for a moment, hesitation in his movements. There was no point in reflecting on the unchanging past. Izumi was someone that did help him in when he needed it and he doubted he would be able to reply him. _Trying going to see him again for starters then you can think about tying up loose ends._

With a sigh, Kazuki entered the club room to fulfill his hosting duties for the day. At this point, Kazuki didn't give the girls a second glance as he entered the room. He was used to that chatter and lightness of atmosphere. It didn't take long for him to actually approached the pure enjoy of just standing in the room. Yeah it could be noisy and ridiculous, but it as a gathering of classmates that shared a common interest

The topic of their interest being four guys and a cross dresser was a thing for another day.

"Kazuki," someone called out. The student directed his attention to the blonde who was making his way over.

"You really need to work on being more prompt," Tamaki said as he guided him over. "If you want to be successful in life you have to work on pleasing people. That means meeting reasonable expectation like arriving on time for meeting and days we are hosting."

Kazuki sighed. It wouldn't be the first time Tamaki lecture him about something. He just believed that the blonde liked sharing his knowledge and it made him happier to help people.

"Do you understand, Kazuki?" Tamaki asked, snapping the other out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, of course," he said as if he had been paying attention. "I will try to arrive on time for now on. I should be more dependable, so I will work harder."

"That is what I want to hear," he said with a smile. "Also, I have to ask you a question."

"What that?" Kazuki questioned.

"Um, last time you said the person I like will show affection. And well, I hurt myself a week after that and they offered to take me to the nurse's office. And they even helped bandage my hand." His eyes grew wide and he smiled even larger. "A display of affection, right?"

Kazuki had to stop from gawking at the statement. He saw that happen and the person who took him was Haruhi. _Crap, Tamaki has a thing for Haruhi? That shouldn't be a surprise, he is... protective of her I guess._

"I see," Kazuki said, nodding his head. "And you came to me to give you another fortune?"

"Yes!" Tamaki said, his violet eyes shining. "Please give me more knowledge on what's to come."

Kazuki closed his eyes and made an expression as if he was thinking hard while trying not to grin. "Oh, I see it." He placed a hand on his temple. "An incident will occur that will leave the person distressed, comfort them in a way no one else can."

 _Gosh that is so vague, there is no way he is going to by tha_ -

"Thank you, Kazuki," he said gleefully, his expression pure awe.

"Kazuki, you made it," Kaoru said as the duo approached the twins.

"Hey, Kaoru," Kazuki said with a smile. At this point, there was little awkwardness between the two. It was obvious that Kaoru still had a bit of an issue with it, but he didn't allow it to stop them from bonding at the club or distract him in a way that was not able to Kazuki.

"You have to be a bit more prompt, Kazuki," Kyoya said with a disapproving gaze.

"Sorry," he said with a shrug. "I was told that we were going to be cosplaying today."

Kazuki saw Kyoya make a note of something in his notebook and then push up his glasses.

"Unfortunately. Our plans have been changed due to the fact that there were issues with the outfits. So today will be a usual day of hosting. We are doing of annual spring event. I have already suited myself and the others with their yukata, but I will need you to be fitted for one also."

"Oh," Kazuki said. "Okay, get me a tape measure and I will give you my info."

Kyoya gave him a raised brow. "Wouldn't you like me to send someone to assist you?"

"Nope," he said confidently. No one questioned him and Kyoya told him where to find what he needed. Everyone soon made their way to their first clients of the day as Kazuki went to the change rooms. He found the tape measure in a drawer and went into one of the changing room. He pulled the curtain closed behind and began divested himself of his uniform.

He noticed that he had picked at a mirror and he stared back at himself like a child seeing their reflection for the first time. Nothing seemed different from the last time he gave himself a good look. Same beauty mark under his left eyes, jet black hair that just touched the bottom of his shoulder blades, and turquoise eyes staring back.

He shed off his white button up shirt and continuing studying his body. He had a slim build, but it was obvious that he had been raised doing some kind of athletic training; martial arts in his case. The last year of not training had left him in a lesser state than before, but he knew that once he started going to the dojo he was going to be able to rebuild his physique. He flexed his arm a bit and then chuckled at himself. _You're so stupid._

With a sigh, he picked up the measuring tape and took the measurements of his arm span with a bit of difficulty and his height. He recorded the information down in his phone notes so he could send it to Kyoya when he was done.

 _Would he want my shoulders' width too or my chest? But I am a guy so I don't think that is needed, but that if it is._ Kazuki mulled his thoughts over, staring that the tape measure in his hand as if it would give him the answers he needed.

"I'm going to use this one," a voice said from behind Kazuki. He looked over to see one of the twins, Hikaru, opening the curtain to the room he was in.

"Oh, sorry," Hikaru said when he made eye contact with Kazuki, obviously surprised.

"Uh, it fine," Kazuki said not knowing what else to do. Thankfully he was just shirtless, which is a state he could bare people seeing him in.

"Um, for future times, there this thing out here to tell whether someone in in th- oh my god what is that?" Hikaru exclaimed, staring wide at Kazuki's back.

"What?" Kazuki asked, confused on why the other host was talking about. He didn't feel anything on his back. He turned so he could see his back in the mirror. It took him a moment to see what Hikaru was referring to. From the right of his upper back to the bottom of his left was a long, pink scar about a centimeter in width. "Oh, that," he said with a drag in his voice.

"How in the world did you get that? Were you in some kind of fight or something?" Hikaru continued.

"This happened years ago when I was in England," Kazuki said. " I was in a car accident. I wasn't sitting right in my seat and well," he trailed off shrugging his shoulder. "I guess it taught me to always wear my seatbelt."

Hikaru made a pained expression as if he was the one going through such an accident. "That was one nasty car accident."

"Yeah, I got a lot of that when I showed it off. Hey, remember how that thing about the club a couple weeks ago?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"How about we keep this between us also, no need to really talk about it."

Hikaru smirked and rolled his eyes. "Sure," he said holding up his fist. Kazuki smiled and bumped his own against Hikaru's.

"I'll leave you to finish that," Hikaru said as he closed the curtain.

Kazuki smiled at the curtain for a second before his lips turned down into a small frown. Looked at himself in the mirror and placed his forehead on the cool glass with a defeated sigh. Why are lies so much easier to tell than the truth?

"Where is Kaoru?" Kazuki asked Hikaru. The twin was collecting his belongs and was looking as if he was getting ready to go because the club had ended.

"I think he his near the stables, he had to do something," Hikaru answered. "Why?"

"The school has stables?" Kazuki said with a very incredulous look. Of course they have stables, it would be shocking if there was something this place didn't have. "Where are they?"

Hikaru gave him directions to where they were and Kazuki left with a smile and thanks. He made his way out of the school building and to the far left of the school grounds. The 'stables' look as if it was meant for a small noble family than animals. Like the rest of the school, it seemed to scream luxury. Kazuki sighed. _How are animals living in a better place than most people in the world._

"Kazuki?" The student turned to see Kaoru walking over to him. "What are you doing over here?"

"Nothing really," Kazuki said. "What about you?"

"Oh, well I came to see the horse."

"Horses?" Kazuki questioned with a bit of an edge to his voice.

"Yeah. We usually have several events during spring when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Tamaki said he wanted to do carriage rides during the ball this year, so it is to be expected the horses will be used. Do you want to come and see them?"

Kazuki tried not to let hesitation seep into his words as he said, "of course."

Kaoru motioned for Kazuki to follow him. With a smile, the raven haired student did just that. He loved just being in Kaoru's presence. He had this attitude that felt so familiar. Also chilled while still having a mischievous and fun side that never seemed to get bored of.

"So why are you so infatuated by horses?" Kazuki asked.

"I have been taking horse riding lessons along with Hikaru for some time. It really is fun. Last year there was this whole incident and Hikaru had to ride the horse through the school grounds. He fell and fractured his arm, but things worked out."

"Wow, seems like I missed a very exciting year in Ouran history," Kazuki said with a smile.

Kaoru laughed at the statement. "Yeah, it was ridiculous, but hopefully with you here there will be other crazy antics to live through."

"Yeah, let's just hope that we actually _live_ through them."

"What was it like living in England?" Kaoru asked with a lightness in his voice.

"It was actually really fun," Kazuki said. "There was a lot of things to do when I wasn't in school. My friend and I usually went out like a bunch of tourists every so often and just go to all of the attractions we had already seen a million times to begin with."

Kazuki dug out his phone from his pocket. "We mainly stayed in London when we were there. There is this amazing Ferris Wheel called the London Eye, we went on it more times than anything else, yet each time it felt like my first." He went to his picture and found the one he was looking for.

It was him in a casual green shirt and jeans. His hair was cut shorter, more like Tamaki's hair style. He was smiling widely, not at the camera, but at the beautiful view outside with large, awed eyes. He was leaning against the glass window that looked out onto the water and you could tell it was around noon in the picture. He was probably fourteen or fifteen in the picture.

"You look so happy," Kaoru said with a smile as he looked at the picture. "Is that your friend?"

Kaoru pointed at the blonde who was taking the picture. He had a small smile but you could see the happiness in his grey eyes. His hair was styled in a way that you could you could tell it was kept, with his bangs styled to the side and out of his face and a shorter cut than Kazuki's.

Kazuki had to keep himself from staring too long at the picture, at the grey eyes that he loved looking into. "Yeah, his name's Izumi. A great guy." The braying of a horse cut Kazuki off. He hadn't even realized that they had entered the stable.

"Hey, Jean," Kaoru said as he approached the horse.

"The horse's name is Jean?" Kazuki said, stifling laughter. _An Attack on Titan fan has been here._

"Yup." Kaoru rubbed the animals softly, obviously showing his kindness to not frighten the horse. Kazuki stood a few meters away from the horse, trying to smile.

"Something wrong, Kazuki?" Kaoru asked with a questioning tone.

"No, nope, nothing at all," he said, rocking on his heels.

"Do you want to pet him?"

"You know what, I am actually good standing right here and just watching you pet the horse. He really is pretty, I ca-"

"Kazuki, are you scared of it?" Kaoru asked and Kazuki could tell that he was trying not to let out a laugh.

"No, I am not scared of the horse," Kazuki said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're scared." Kaoru gave a look that said 'I don't believe you.'

"Do you even know what you are standing next to?" Kazuki exclaimed. "About a thousand pounds of muscles and bones. Do you know how easier those things can kill a person? They can swing their head and hit and you, bam, you're dead. Or being trampled, that is scary as hell. And I didn't even mention their bite." Kazuki was serious, listing off the possible dangers of the animal next to Kaoru.

The auburn hair student couldn't take it anymore. He burst out into full laughter. He clenched his sides as he laughs echoed through the stable. "Y-You're sc-scared of horses?" he cried out in laughter.

"Okay, I am," he admitted, a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks.

It took a moment for Kaoru to stop his laughter. He wiped away the tears and walked over to Kazuki. "Come on, it isn't the bad." He took Kazuki's hand and lead him over to the horse. With his hand gripping Kazuki's, Kaoru moved them over to the horse. Kazuki tensed for a moment when his hand came in contact with the horse's forehead.

But nothing happened.

Kazuki watched as Kaoru guided his hand from the horse's forehead down to his nose. Jean's dark eyes looked over at Kazuki, as if judging him, but then closed like it was enjoying being pet. Kazuki felt the smoothness of the hair and the warmness of his skin.

"See, it isn't that bad," Kaoru said with a smile at Kazuki. "He won't hurt you if you don't try to harm him."

"He actually really pretty," Kazuki said with a smile. He felt his nerves begin to calm, not being as frightened by the large creature. He looked over at Kaoru with a genuine smile. "Uh, c-can we ride him?"

"You really want to try?" Kaoru said, which Kazuki replied with a nod. Kaoru undid the lock on the door. Still being a bit frightened, Kazuki stayed back as Kaoru led the horse out of the stable. He followed soon after, putting some distance between them. They got outside where Kaoru began equipping Jean with what was needed. Kazuki just watched as Kaoru prepared the horse.

A thought soon popped into his mind. "Uh, we won't get in trouble for this, right?"

"I thought you didn't care about your rep at the school," Kaoru said as he placed some sort of blanket on the horse's back and then the double saddle.

"I wouldn't want you to get in trouble because of me through," Kazuki countered.

"Don't worry, you can pretty much do anything after school without getting in too much trouble."

"Wow, are you actually risking it?" Kazuki asked with a smiling. He didn't think that Kaoru would be the type of person to do it.

"No, I'm just messing with you. I have permission to ride the horses whenever." He fastened straps that were on the horse's face and patted his neck. Kaoru looked over to Kazuki and asked, "ready?"

Kazuki nodded as Kaoru lead the horse to a platform. The twin took off his school blazer and placed it on the railing of the platform. He mounted the horses and got comfortable.

"Okay, now climb onto the platform and bring our leg over to straddle it," Kaoru said to Kazuki. With a deep exhale, Kazuki climbed the platform and did his best to get onto the horse without scaring it.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," Kaoru said with a lightness in his voice.

"I would be pretty angry at you if you did," Kazuki said with irritation. He was able to sit down in what he thought was the proper way.

"Are you good?" Kaoru asked.

"Yeah," Kazuki said. _Of course you're good, sweaty hands, heart hammering, that lightness in your head like you're going to faint, that is totally under the category of 'good'._

Kaoru gave a small snap of the reigns, commanding the horse to go forward in a slow trot.

"Oh crap!" Kazuki yelped, immediately wrapping his arms around Kaoru. "Wait, wait, wait," Kazuki mumbled.

Kaoru pulled at the reigns and Jean came to a stop. "You said you were good."

"I'm sorry, I just wasn't ready for that," he said with a weak smile as Kaoru looked over at him.

"Would you like for me to stop and you can get off?" Kaoru asked, sincerity laced into his words.

Kazuki shook his head. "I wouldn't want you to have done all that work just for me to wuss out and ask you to stop." He slowly loosened his grip from around Kaoru. He took in a deep breath and sat up straight. "Okay, lets try this again. I promise that I won't freak."

With a nod, Kaoru commanded the horse to go again. Kazuki tensed a bit, holding onto the back of Kaoru's saddle, but didn't do anything else. Taking breaths, he tried to focus on the scenery of the school. After a good minute, he realized it was actually really nice. The movement of the horse and the sound of its hooves, it was enjoyable.

"Would you be okay if we went a bit faster?" Kaoru asked, speaking up for the first time.

"Yeah, you can," Kazuki said. He felt the horse speed up and he actually found himself wear a smile. "This is nice."

"It is," Kaoru said.

"Have you ever been any type of competition?"

Kaoru hummed. "No, it was more of a leisurely thing for me. I never really liked competition, so it wasn't my thing."

"You shouldn't unmined our skills," Kazuki said.

"I'm not _that_ good."

"You're amazing in more ways than one." He rested his head on Kaoru's back for a moment. In that moment, it just felt right. Ever since the morning, Kazuki felt a bit off. Whether it be his unusual tiredness or his reminders of his past, it all just seemed to feel so irrelevant at that moment. He had made up with his crush and they were acting as if nothing in the world should concern them at the moment. For the first time in a while, Kazuki felt contempt.

Kaoru didn't say anything in response. He simply smiled with a light blush on his cheeks. He wasn't sure of much about Kazuki. At times he wasn't even sure if he should trust him after that day during hide n seek, but from their small conversations to seeing him genuinely smile, Kaoru knew he wasn't a bad person. He had a personality that seemed to always be cool and somewhat collected, but seeing him act outside of that made Kaoru feel as if it was a bit of a facade at times. There was something almost alluring about Kazuki, like he was holding something back or being precise on what to say at times to make sure he didn't let something out that should be kept in.

Kaoru doubted he would be able to put a finger own it, but there was something about Kazuki that made him want to. And his smile. Not the one he put on to make girls swoon or act like he was fully participating in conversations, but the genuine smile he would have every now and then. Something about it made Kaoru feel like he didn't do it often.

Kaoru looked back and saw Kazuki with his head on his back, his lips tugged up in a small, tranquil smile. It made Kaoru smile himself for a reason unknown to him.

Kazuki sat on his bed, Qin resting on his shins, as he flipped through the pictures on his phone. From the London Eye to Warwick Castle, he had multiple pictures from every place he had gone. And almost each one had Izumi in it. It would make sense, there were all from his phone or camera because Kazuki didn't have one at the time.

There was a knock on the door, capturing Kazuki's attention. "Come in," he called out.

Aiko walked in followed by a maid that had a tray with brownies and milk. The maid, Matilda, placed the tray on the coffee table and exited with a bow.

"What are you up to, Kazu-chan," Aiko asked as she sat with Kazuki on his bed.

"Just looking at the pictures from England."

Aiko hummed. "I still haven't gone yet. You think you should go during the break or would it be too much own you?" He could almost feel the concern in her tone.

"I think I could go back again," he said with a sigh. "It won't be the same, though."

"Do you still remember the numbers?" she asked in curiosity.

Kazuki gave a small smile. "Yup. In five years we went thirty-two times to England, a total of two hundred eleven days spent there, went to fifty-three different areas, and took seven hundred and sixty-one pictures."

"And?" Aiko chimed in with a teasing grin, poking Kazuki's beauty mark like she always did.

Kazuki sighed, "and kissed in thirty-seven of the places and fifteen pictures." A sad look washed over Kazuki and he had to fight to not get emotional although he felt his heart clench. Aiko noticed the result of actions placed her head on his shoulder. She looked at the picture of Izumi and Kazuki smiling happily at the camera and the next one in the same place but Kazuki his kissing Izumi's cheek and the blonde faking shock.

"You miss you, don't you?" Aiko said in a soft tone and Kazuki was only able to nod his head. Aiko wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a kiss on the cheek and said, "I know it's hard, but you should really go see him."

Kazuki shook his head. "I can't. I can't bring myself to step back into that house and I don't know how to contact him without having to talk to her."

"Do you want me to?" Aiko asked. "I'm really okay with talking to her, I promise you that."

Kazuki shook his head. "You know Ryuu doesn't want us to have any sort of contact with them yet, it's too soon." He took a breath, which was a bit shaky at the end. "I'm fine, I'll be okay." He looked at the screen one more time, remembering their last conversation.

" _If you end up leaving, just make sure you give me a proper goodbye," Izumi said with a forced smile._

" _Don't act like that," Kazuki said._

" _And smile more, even if it isn't for me."_

" _Sure, sure."_

" _And I know this is so, so selfish, but promise that you will come and see me at least once._

" _Izumi, please stop bein-"_

_Izumi put his hands on either side of Kazuki's cheek, lifting his face so they were looking into each other's eyes. It was rare to see Izumi upset, so the teariness of his eyes made Kazuki want to cry himself. "Kazuki, please. Whether you remain here with me or go off to live in a gold mansion, I need to know that you are happy." Izumi's voice began to shake. "Because you are one of the best things that have ever happened to me and I'm okay with you going if that is what fate has for you. To be honest, you have lived a life that wasn't meant for you."_

" _Izumi, plea-"_

" _No, Kazuki. We both know that this is what you deserve after everything you been through. But please, please promise me that you will somehow tell me you're happy. Whether it's within the next month or decade, please promise me.I won't be able to live if I don't know you're happy."_

" _Okay," Kazuki said, staring into Izumi's sad, grey eyes. "I promise."_

Kazuki felt wetness on his cheek and was shocked when he realized it was a tear. He had let the tear fall silently without even knowing it. Aiko took the phone from him and pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back and saying words Kazuki wasn't really listening to. All her could feel were the tears rolling down the cheeks and the sadness he felt so deep in his heart. The regret and longing seeming to tear him about.

_How, how could I have not kept one damn promise?_

\

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for being inactive, things come up. But I am back and here to please. That Owari no Seraph smut is a thing and you can read mine if you like. As always, review and share, thank you my lovlies.


	7. Chapter 7

Kazuki woke up promptly at six in the morning. He had done it so often at that point that it was part of his inner clock. He sat up in bed with a sigh and looked around the room. I had not grown in size since he had fallen asleep, yet it felt so much bigger every time he woke up. It was just large enough to fit his twin sized bed and a dresser. He didn't need much to begin with, it was just his room for when they were in England for the time being.

Not wanting his mistress to wake up before him, he quickly got out of bed. He went to the bathroom down the hall and quickly brushed his teeth, took a shower, and put in his contacts. He made sure to dry and do his hair neatly, it being one of the tasks he was assigned to always make sure was down. It was actually a bit funny to him, out of anything that his mistress would pester him about, it was his hair. To make sure it was kept and never got too long.

He dressed in his usual outfit for the day, although he knew he wouldn't have to wear it for long. Black slacks, white collared button up, black tailcoat, and slim, green bow tie. Everything ironed and without a single wrinkle. He made sure to put his knives in the inner pocket of his tailcoat and in the strap on his shin. He signed as he looked in the mirror, his blank expression staring back.

Kazuki exited the bathroom and knocked on the door beside his. "Izumi?" he called out, hoping the other was awake. He heard grumbling from the other side but no coherent words. If this guy is sleeping I swear I am going to kill him.

Kazuki opened the door to a bedroom similar to his own. On the bed laid Izumi, his face pressed into the pillow.

"Izumi, you have to get up," Kazuki said with a sigh as he entered the room. Without even giving it a second thought, he began to pick up and fold the clothes that were thrown about the room. He had learned quickly that Izumi did not partake in keeping his room clean.

"Five more minutes," the blonde mumbled from his bed, throwing his covers over his head.

"No, it is already six fifteen and I need you up. The faster she gets out the house, the more time we get."

Izumi rolled over at looked at the other. His hair was a mess and his eyes begged for sleep but the smirk on his face was joyous. "It's Thursday?"

Kazuki nodded with a smile. "Now, get up." With that, Kazuki took a hold of the covers and throw them off of Izumi. The blonde let out a yelp as the cool air came in contact with his bare skin, the only thing protecting him were his short.

"Damn it, Kazuki," he said, getting up with a jolt as if he was going to tackle Kazuki.

"Nope," Kazuki said. "I am already clothed." He gestured down to the suit he was wearing. "And you can't mess up my suit or you're going to get it."

Izumi glared at him before smirking at the other. "You're too good at this. I'll be out soon, give me fifteen."

"That's all it should take," Kazuki said, before leaving his room. He went up the stairs to where the main rooms were. Not many of the servants and maids were about during the time. Not only was it early and there wasn't much to be tended to with so little people in the house, but it was Thursday; the day in which the mistress went out.

Kazuki popped his head into the kitchen to see if Chef James was in yet. Sure enough, he was, looking as if he just got there.

"Kazuki, good morning," he said with a smile.

"Morning," Kazuki said. Kazuki wasn't very good with English. He could understand and read it okay but speaking it was always troubling for him. The servants here knew that and didn't expect much from him to begin with.

"I'm expecting to not make breakfast for your mistress today, am I correct?" James asked which Kazuki replied with a nod. "But you came to see if I would for you and Izumi, I propose."

Kazuki gave another nod with a nervous smile, hoping he wasn't asking for too much.

James gave him a smile. "Of course I will, it'll be done soon."

"Thank you," Kazuki said and left for the time being. He liked the servants here in England more than he did in the main estate back in Japan. They seemed so much kinder here or maybe because they just weren't fully aware of Kazuki's position.

Kazuki made his way to the top floor where he waited by the door. Just like he was told, he stood with a straight back, arms behind him, chin raised, and feet together. He remembered holding that pose for a straight hour because he couldn't get it right. He thought it would be simple, but his mistress would only expect perfection from him. There was a limit on how much a fourteen year old could do and put up with, but it seemed like Kazuki had long crossed the bounder.

A second later, the door opened and out walked the person that held Kazuki's life in her hands, Lady Miyu. She was ranked over all her peers due to the fact she skipped two grades in grade school. She was the only daughter of the Miyu family and held herself proudly with the name. She was dressed in a simple white and yellow sundress what seemed to glow against her olive skin. Her light brown hair was cut into a short pixie cut, her honey eyes looking at Kazuki. Well, looking up at Kazuki. Standing at a solid four foot ten inches was thirteen year old, Miyu Shion, Kazuki's mistress.

"Good morning, Mistress Shion," Kazuki said with a bow as she closed the door behind her.

"Good morning, Kazuki," she said. She looked him up and down, never failing to check whether he met her expectations or not. She gave a satisfied hum, approving his attire. "Excellent," she said with a small smile.

"Your hat," Kazuki said, offering to take her hat which she gladly handed over. Shion made her way down the hall and Kazuki followed along, a single step behind her and slightly to the right.

"What are your plans for the day?" she asked him.

"Izumi and I decided to go to the Palace of Westminster this time," Kazuki said. "We haven't gone yet and we decided that it is about time to check it out."

"Make sure you go inside Big Ben," Shion said with a smile. "Uncle took me there before and the view was just amazing. British architecture is astonishing."

Kazuki nodded but wasn't sure if she saw. One thing Kazuki truly liked about Shion was the fact she wasn't cruel to him like he would have expected after their first encounter. Yes, they had a tough time in the very beginning, neither one of them knowing exactly how to deal with the other, but now it was okay. As long as Kazuki was respectful, did as he was told, and didn't cause trouble, his mistress would grant him privileges and give him a good amount of leeway to do what he liked as long as it was reasonable. They figured out long ago that if Kazuki treated her with respect and like his mistress and Shion did not talk down to him as if he was a lowly being, they could have a mutual conversation that helped ease any tension that sometimes rose.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are your plans with Mister Jacob?" Kazuki asked, referring to Shion's uncle.

"We're probably going to have breakfast at my favorite cafe," she said with a smile. "He will either take me out to the city or we would just stay in his house and do different activities. Aunt Catherine just had her baby, which means I have a cousin now." She said the last part with a large smile on her face and put her hands up to her face as if to try and hold her excitement. No matter how mature she acted for her age, she was still a kid.

"Congratulations, Mistress," Kazuki said was a smile. Kazuki didn't like showing his sadness, but he the thought did upset him. He had met his father only once and his memories with his mother, although most of them were good, were clouded over with the resentment he still had for her. His grandparents, the people he thought were his real parent for years, were okay. His missed his grandmother, but his grandfather was just horrible. Kazuki wondered if he had any other family members he didn't know about.

A pain in his nose placed him back in reality. He looked to see Shion staring at him, her fingers an inch from his nose, making him believe she flicked him.

"Don't zone out," she said with an annoyed tone.

"My apologizes, Mistress," he said.

"Like I was saying, Uncle is already here so I will be taking my leave." They entered the foyer where Izumi was standing by the door. He had dressed almost identical to Kazuki, except he wore a pale blue neck tie opposed to Kazuki green bow tie.

"Good morning, Lady Shion," Izumi said with a bow as she put on her shoes.

"Hello, Izumi," she said without looking at him. Kazuki quickly slipped on his shoes so he was able to walk her out the door. He was swift in his movements, knowing it is best to get things done before Shion so he could assist her in any way she may need it.

"I expect you to keep Kazuki in check today," Shion said, looking at Izumi. "No stupid antics or things that would get you in trouble with either my family or the law."

"Of course not," Izumi said. "I'll make sure to make Kazuki and myself are not troubling anyone."

"Although I feel like it is Kazuki who keeps you in check at times," she said more to herself than Izumi. "I'll be off."

Izumi gave her a goodbye as Kazuki opened the door for her. The blonde stuck his tongue out at Kazuki while the other gave him a smug smile before following Shion out the door.

"You're only going to Westminster?" she asked again as they traveled down the driveway to the car waiting for the young girl.

"We are also going to the London Eye like usual and a cafe near the area, Mistress Shion," Kazuki confirmed. "And if there is a change in plans we will be sure to call you and receive your permission first."

"You better," she said. "Let's not have this end like the first time I let you out when we came to England."

He knew she was talking about the time two years back when she gave him a free day and he tried to run from her. It wasn't successful, to say the least.

"It won't and I promise that incident won't repeat itself," Kazuki said.

"I do you know where you are," she started, tapping her right ear. She was referring to the earring Kazuki was forced to wear. It had a tracker in it so Shion could easily see where he was at any point she liked. And is he tried to take it off, which he foolishly did a few time, it would notify her. It was a symbol to show that no matter where he was or what he was doing, Shion would always be able to find him.

"Of course," Kazuki said with a nod. They made it to the end of the driveway to Shion's uncle's car. Kazuki opened the door for her and handed his mistress her hat.

"Have a nice day, Mistress Shion," Kazuki said.

"You also, Kazuki," she said. "You're now relieved of your duties until seven this evening. Have a good day."

Kazuki closed the door and watched as the car drove away. He didn't move until the car was out of sight. He let out a loud sigh and made his way back into the house. The servant went straight to his room and throw off the uniform he hated wearing and traded it out for a more casual outfit. Dressed in a periwinkle shirt and black jeans, Kazuki felt a million times better. He took out his contacts and put them in their solution and replaced them with a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. Something about the glasses made Kazuki like them more than the contacts he was forced to wear. If he was ever in a situation where he had to defend himself, glasses wouldn't help in any way. And, just for the heck of it, he ran his hands through his hair in a crazy manner, ruining his neat hair.

Knowing breakfast would be ready, he quickly went into the kitchen where Izumi and James were having a conversation. The blonde hadn't yet changed his clothes, but he no longer had his jacket or tie on and the first few buttons of his white shirt were undone. Izumi saw Kazuki enter and said, "Wow, that was fast, Zuzu. You always seem to shed off your suit the second she is gone."

"You know I hate that god forsaken tie," Kazuki mumbled.

"I think you look dashing all dressed up," Izumi said. "It makes me want to take off your clothes all the more."

Kazuki's faced flushed and he gave Izumi a stare. "Don't say that, especially in front of James."

Izumi laughed. "Like he knows a lick of Japanese."

"I know you're talking about me," James said as he placed the pancakes on a plate. "I also know that you two are saying something private. Your food is done, enjoy."

"Thank you," the two said in unison as James left the kitchen. Out of the many people the two came in contact with, very few knew of Izumi and Kazuki's relationship. It was fairly new, but it was obvious the two were close, and it was only recently that things got physical between the two. It never went too far, mainly because Izumi wasn't sure of things on Kazuki's part. Izumi was sixteen, two years older than Kazuki. He knew that Kazuki was special and so were is feeling for him, but he was scared that Kazuki's weren't completely true. Not only was Kazuki fourteen, which is young for any relationship, but he had a lack of interaction with people his age. He had no parental figure to give or receive affection from or any close to him for that matter. Izumi, being the only person that seemed to truly care for him, was the person Kazuki directed most of his feeling towards. This is why when Kazuki told Izumi he loved him, the blonde was a bit hesitate to reflect it the emotion. It soon didn't become a matter dwelled on, though. They said if they wanted any sort of relationship they would take it slow and see where it took them. But that didn't stop them from being each other's best friends before anything else.

Izumi and Kazuki sat down and began eating their breakfast, enjoying James' home cooked food.

"Ever thought of what your mistress would do if she saw you in your casual clothes?" Izumi asked between bites.

"What is she going to do about to, I have been relieved of my duties so Shion can't do anything to me." When he was relieved of his duties, his 'off time', Kazuki seemed to drop everything he had learned. He didn't refer to anyone with titles, sat in whatever posture he like, and filtered very few of his thoughts before he spoke.

"She would probably kill you with your hair like that," Izumi said as he gestured with his fork at Kazuki wild state of hair.

"I don't know what she is so obsessed with it." He gave an irritated sigh. "It's a pain, honestly. I am a human, not a doll, please consider that." He placed his hand over the gold earring in his ear. "I know I am a slave, but hon-"

"Stop saying that," Izumi said with a glare.

"It's true, I was bought," Kazuki stated with a serious look. As much as the two hate to bring it up, it was the truth. Sold and bought at the age of nine and has not been truly free for years.

"Domestic ass-kicking butler sounds cooler, though, right?" Izumi said with a smile, pushing Kazuki a bit to try and cheer him up a bit.

"I guess."

"Remember that one time we went out and you forgot to put away your knife," Izumi said and then chuckled. "We totally freaked and thought we were going to get arrested."

"That was your fault," Kazuki said, hitting his hand on the table. "You told be that if they find it on me then I'll be thrown into prison. How else was I supposed to react?"

Izumi laughed at the younger one, loving how flustered Kazuki gets over things.

"Oh, Kazuki, you are too adorable for your own good," Izumi said, getting his plate and getting out of his chair. He placed his dishes in the sink and came over to Kazuki. "I'm going to go get dressed, give me a second." He gave Kazuki a peck on the cheek and went out the room.

Kazuki put his hand on his cheek and smiled at himself. Izumi's kiss on the cheek was an action that wasn't exclusive towards Kazuki. It was something he gave his mother when saying hello or goodbye, thanking someone, or when he was just happy. Kazuki guessed it was something he grew up doing, yet he could never get used to, though.

Kazuki quickly finished his meal and put his dishes in the sink. He went into the foyer and check to see if Shion had left the money. Sure enough, there was a card and a hundred pounds in cash in an envelope for Kazuki and Izumi's day out. And as always was a note reading; 'Have fun and bring back receipts :)'

There were times Kazuki didn't know how to feel towards Shion. Sometimes she would act brat like the world owed her something, other times she seemed like she was trying to grow up too fast and show everyone that she was not a small creature that needed to be cared for, and sometimes she acted her age. She would ask for things like a cute dress or for sweets, to have a tea party with her friend. It was hard to read her at times, so Kazuki just did his best to read the situation and act accordingly.

Kazuki sighed and pulled out his wallet to store the money he was given. The ringing of the phone in the other room caught Kazuki's attention. Without hesitation, he went over to it and picked it up.

"Miyu estate," he said, already get the paper and pad ready to take down any notes that he may need to pass onto Shion.

"Uh, hello?" a girl's voice said.

Kazuki immediately put down the pen when he realized who called. "Hello, Lady Aiko," he said with a lightness in his words.

"Kazu-chan," she replied cheerfully, joyed to figure out it was the butler. "How do you do?"

"Quite well, and you?"

"Same as usual. Is Shion available?"

"I'm sorry, she just left with her uncle, Mister Jacob." There was silence for a moment, which concerned Kazuki. "Lady Aiko, did you forget about the time difference again?"

"Oh course not," she said and Kazuki could just image the guilty look on her face. "I totally meant to call you at... midnight night your time."

Kazuki smiled and leaned against the wall. "We are nine hours behind, not ahead."

"Exactly," she said with a crack in her voice. "Anyways, may you tell her that I called."

"Of course, is there a message you would like me to pass on besides that?"

"Tell your little teddy bear Izumi I said hey."

Even with the thousands of miles between them, Kazuki could vividly see Aiko smiling into the speaker of the phone.

"I will."

"Talk to you later, Kazu-chan."

"And you too, Lady Aiko," he said before hanging up on her. He smiled down for a second, hearing the girl's voice always seemed to make him happy.

"Did your feet tell a joke or something?" Izumi asked as he found Kazuki in the living room. He was dressed in denim blue jean and Aztec design button up short sleeve shirt. He twirled a black hat on his finger before placing it on his still brushed hair.

"Lady Aiko called, she says hello," Kazuki said.

"Ah, Aiko, a lovely girl," Izumo said. "Now here is the question of the day: why do you drop 'mistress' when Shion isn't around but Aiko's name can never be said without putting 'lady' in front of it?"

"Because Lady Aiko has my full respect," Kazuki said. "She is kind, funny, and respects everyone, no matter their social standing. She, like Shion, has skipped two grades and still manages to have a sort of social group. I rarely hear her brag or boast about anything and she is both a good listener and fun to talk to. She doesn't try to act like someone she's not and is just an overall kind person."

"Oooh, do I have competition?" Izumi said with a smile, ruffling Kazuki's hair.

"I'm not sure yet," Kazuki teased. "I should see how good of a kisser she is before I decide."

"Is that so?" Izumi said, moving so he was facing Kazuki, the younger's back against the wall. He placed his hand on the wall next to Kazuki's head. Izumi leaned in close and said, "I'll make it so you only know my lips."

With that, he pressed his lips against Kazuki's a swift motion. With blushed cheeks, Kazuki kissed back and could feel the sincerity of it. Like most of the things between the two, it wasn't rushed or intensely heated, but pleasant and enjoyable. Like the one, kind mark of claim that Kazuki didn't mind in the slightest.

Izumi parted their lips and smiled at Kazuki's flushed face. He placed a hand on his face and said, "let's go now before we miss the bus."

Spending the day with Izumi was one of the things that Kazuki always looked forwards to when coming to England. He used to dread the trips to England, it being such a drag for him. Shion realized that and allowed Izumi to come with them when they went, but only if Kazuki behaved himself.

The couple walked from the small estate down to a public street where they took a cab into the city. Because he always had to follow Shion around, Kazuki rarely had the opportunity to just take things in and enjoy the beauty of the things around him. When he was with Izumi, though, he was able to take in everything and relish in the simplicity of the abstractness of the world around him.

Kazuki was never given a camera or phone, he had asked for either on more than one occasion, so he would constantly have Izumi's camera in hand to take a picture of everything that caught his eyes.

The two spent a good time at the Palace of Westminster, marveling at the architecture and reading the facts displayed. They would discuss the most random of things and laugh at the lamest jokes the other told. Using MP passes, which Izumi may or may not have taken from Shion, they were able to go into Big Ben. The two wandered the area inside, taking pictures of both the building and each other.

Izumi brought Kazuki a t-shirt saying 'London Clocks', which Kazuki rolled his eyes at with a smile. After a bit of debate, they had lunch at an outdoor cafe where Izumi dared Kazuki to try a meat pie. Kazuki took the dare and ended up eating something he would never try again. Izumi was amused by Kazuki's obvious lack enjoyment of the food and made sure to buy the other chocolate ice cream to make up for it.

And finally, like with almost every trip to London, Izumi and Kazuki made their way to the London Eye. Since it was a few hours until the sunset, not many people were there. Kazuki always wanted to see the night sky or the setting sun from the Ferris Wheel, but he was never allowed out late enough. Those being the sites that most people wanted to see, there wasn't many people trying to go on the London Eye at the time. Kazuki and Izumi paid their fee and joined a cart that had mostly old people in it. With the door shut and people all giving their okay, they started their slow climb upwards.

Kazuki grinned from ear to ear at the rose from the ground and people below him seemed to get smaller and smaller. He talked with Izumi as the got higher off the ground, taking a few pictures and just enjoying themselves. He felt almost as if he was leaving the world and his troubles behind, and Kazuki knew that the ride last half an hour. For Kazuki though, it was only half an hour away from his life. He knew that after the Eye, they would find the nearest cab to drive them close to the estate and they would walk from there, usually in silence. And right as the clock was about to turn seven, they would get dressed in their suits and Kazuki would stand outside the door, waiting for Shion to arrive.

"Why are you upset?" Izumi asked once they were near the very top.

Kazuki sighed and tried to give a smile. "Nothing, just thinking."

Izumi leaned over and looked at Kazuki with an expression as if he was studying him. "Do you want me to kiss you?"

"What, no!" Kazuki said with a furious blush. "Why would you say something like that?"

"Because I know it always cheers you up," Izumi said, running his fingers through Kazuki's hair.

Kazuki looked down at the floor and then up at Izumi. "What the heck, Izumi we are in public," Kazuki mumbled.

Izumi sucked his teeth. "This isn't Japan, no one cares if a couple is on each other, whether they're males or not." Kazuki still looked a bit uneasy, looking over at the elder people with them.

"Okay," Izumi said and turned around. "Excuse me, fellow passengers, may I have your attention?" Izumi announced to the other people in with them. "Would anyone truly mind if I kiss my boyfriend at this moment? We're on a date and I would hate to pass up such an amazing opportunity to make a memory here."

Kazuki only caught a handful of the English Izumi said, but he knew what was going on and blushed furiously because of it.

An old lady smiled with a laugh. "Oh, you young people never able to keep your hands off each other. Young and passionate," she said gesturing in a 'go on' motion. "You do as you please, don't mind us."

"Thank you," Izumi said with a kind nod to her. He turned back to Kazuki with a smile.

"See, no one cares," he stayed with a smile.

"You're so embarrassing," Kazuki said with his head down.

Izumi left Kazuki's chin and looked into his eyes. "Sorry."

He leaned in and captured Kazuki's lips with his own. Although flustered, Kazuki kissed back with a hum. Izumi was a bit taller that Kazuki, so the younger one had to rise a bit off his toes to make it comfortable for his partner. It wasn't rushed and heated but genuine, showing the love between the two.

Izumi parted their lips for a moment, but Kazuki immediately connected them again. His hands moved under Izumi's arms to his back, the younger one pushing Izumi forward just a bit.

Izumi moved his lips along with Kazuki's, noticing the Kazuki was taking over the kiss a bit more. Izumi placed his hand on the other's warm cheek, his thumb rubbing the side of his face.

It was Kazuki who broke the kiss that time, parting with a heated breath. Izumi smiled into Kazuki's turquoise eyes and then leaned in to whisper, "are you try to seduce me?"

Kazuki slowly shook his head. "You were the one to propose it, it's your own fault."

Izumi smirked and said, "If we weren't in a cart filled with other people, I would have been had my hands on you, all over you."

"Too bad for you, there are too many people for that," Kazuki said. "So you have to wait, and we all know how good you are at that."

Izumi scoffed and smiled. "Oh, but there is so much I would do for you."

Kazuki walked behind Shion as they traveled the streets of London. He wasn't required to wear a full suit when he was out in public but didn't mean casual wear. Kazuki was still stuck in a white, button-up shirt, black slacks, and the horrid green tie. Shion went with a cream, long sleeve blouse and simple skirt. It was getting late and the two were returning home. Of course, they could have chosen to take a private car to get around, Shion did have a chauffeur. Usually, on their last day there, Shion likes to walk around to just take in the city.

"Mistress Shion, my I ask you a question?" Kazuki asked.

"Sure," she replied as they neared the corner of the street.

Kazuki was careful of his wording when he asked, "when will I be permanently relieved of my duties?"

Shion stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. The younger girl looked at him from head to toe and shrugged. "When I don't need you anymore," she answered vaguely.

"And when will that be?" he countered, a bit more edge in his voice than he intended.

"I'm not sure yet," she said nonchalantly, looking at the cars going by at the end of the corner.

Kazuki clenched his fist in anger. "So you are just planning on keeping me under your thumb until what, your parents begin to care about you."

Shion glared at the guy. "Watch yourself, Kazuki. You need to know your place before you get yourself in trouble."

"I'm not some animal, Shion," he said spitefully. "I am a human, not a lifeless being. There are things I want and I can't have them because of you. You have kept me for years at this point and there is no difference. You are extremely selfish for putting another's life under you to get what you want."

Shion turned sharply on her heels and pulled Kazuki down to her eye level. No matter how many disputes the two got in over the year, there was something about Shion that Kazuki could never overcome. He had been doing martial arts for years and could easily overpower a person as small as Shion. Her grip was like iron and her stare seemed to freeze him in his spot each time.

"Listen to me well," she said. "We live in a world where your wants aren't always satisfied and privileges are something hard to receive. You work your way to the top by any means, even if you have to use force or other people. And if you don't, then you are the person being thrown to the side. If you want something, you have to work for it and strive for it, using any means necessary. If that means that I have to use you to get what I want, then so be it, because the most important person in my life is myself."

She let go of Kazuki's shirt and pushed him back a bit. She walked back in the direction they came from. "Come on, we are going back to the estate."

Kazuki, anger boiling inside him, had enough. Not listening to her, he bolted across the street in the direction they were originally going. He heard Shion short his name, but he ignored her and went as fast as he could, not minding the oncoming traffic. He ran as hard add fast as he could, dodging and weaving past the few people in his way. He felt the tears of both anger and sadness sting his eyes.

It isn't fair, it isn't fair. Why can't I live a normal life, why was I born into this life?

Kazuki slowed when he got near a park. His lungs were burning for air and he felt like he had reached his limits. With heaving breaths, he sat down on a bench and felt the tears travel down his cheeks. He hated his father for taking messing up his life, he hated his mother for help throwing the family into debt and abandoning him, he hated the people who sold him, he hated the men that treated him horribly, he hated Shion for breaking him and using him for her own gain.

He hated anyone. He wanted to just leave, leave and never look back. To escape everything that he had ever known and go somewhere where he was free from his life and people.

But then he remembered Izumi, the one person who cared for him, the one person he was living for. He couldn't leave Izumi, the one person that promised not to leave him.

Kazuki looked down at the dirt and picked up a stick and began writing kanji in the dirt.

'Shigure Ren' it read. Every so often, he would speak the name out loud, barely whispering it to himself. The boy that was happy, living with who he thought was his parents and older sister. He knew what privileges came with being an upper-class citizen. Who didn't know the struggles life could bring or how quickly they could arrive.

A boy he no longer was. He drew an arrow and then wrote 'Kazuki'. Kazuki was the boy who, after a long process, became the 'personal servant' of Shion Miyu. He had no last name due to the fact he didn't belong to a family. He had a limited free will and had to abide by the rules he was given.

He sighed as he got up and erased the names by rubbing his shoes over them. He had to stop moping, there was no time for that. He had to suck it up and live this life he was forced into. It wasn't something he would have wished for in a thousand lifetimes, but he had little control over it. The best he could do it be good, be the servant Shion parents expected her to train him to be, and then she wouldn't need him anymore. Once Shion proved them to them her ability to impose authority, there would be no reason for her to have him.

Kazuki began walking in the direction he came from, knowing Shion would have already been tracking him. Acting the way he did wouldn't help anyone and he knew that. As he made his way down the street he came from he heard a loud noise coming from somewhere near where he was.

Picking up his pace, Kazuki continued in the direction. Again, he heard a noise, but it was much more clear. It sounded like someone having a loud argument. Kazuki wouldn't have really minded if he hadn't heard an all too familiar voice say, "I dare you to try something."

Shion.

Kazuki groaned and speed up his step until he found Shion, but he wasn't relieved in the slightest. She was in an alleyway with a guy that look like he was well off in his twenties. He had her forearm in a firm grip and she was staring at him with a challenging stare. By the man's movements, Kazuki could tell that he was drunk, dangerously drunk.

As Kazuki was rushing over there, Shion bit the man's arm to make him release his hold on her. The man threw her to the side with a howl, causing the girl to hit the brick building behind her.

"You little bitch," the man hissed with a slur. "I'll show you." The man reached into his pocket and drew out a knife. Kazuki panicked, clueless on how he was supposed to defend Shion. And it all happened so fast it felt unreal. As the man brought the knife down, Kazuki made it between them, wrapping his arms around Kazuki in a protective shield. The moment he pushed Shion's head into his chest he felt the sharp blade dig into his upper back.

He didn't feel it at first, maybe due to the adrenaline rushing through his body. Kazuki didn't know when the pain hit, whether it was the moment the man drop the knife and ran or when Shion began yelling at him, all Kazuki knew was when he felt it, it burned. He let out a pain filled cry and fell to his knees. He felt as if his back was on fire like a flame itself pierced into shoulder blade and traveled downwards. He could feel the blood seeping into his white dress shirt.

"Kazuki!" Shion yelled, dropping to her knees next to him. "Kazuki, you idiot, what could you have possibly been thinking!?" Her voice was panicked and seemed to shake. Kazuki clenched his jaw so hard he felt like he was going to break it as he balled his fist up as tight as they possibly could.

"I need to pr-protect you," he said through gritted teeth groaning in pain. The next things were a blur to Kazuki, the only thing that was clear was the searing pain in his back. Someone big helped him up, a stranger that heard the commotion more than likely. Standing made the pain worse and Kazuki was stumbling his way out. Then he was laying on something soft, what was it before or after he heard the loud noises? They must have been sirens of the ambulance, it seemed logical. He was never sure, but he felt as if a warm, petite hand held his throughout the ride.

Things went black after that.

Kazuki woke up in a hospital, unaware of anything going on. He was cold and clueless and wanted to call out for someone but his mouth was too dry to make a sound. He looked down at his arm and saw an IV with tape over it, which he wanted to bad to pull out but knew better not to. As his mind focused more, he heard two harsh voices going back and forth.

"It's not my fault," one said, sounding a bit tired and irritated.

"So tell me who's it is?" the other said, this one deeper and agitated.

"Do you seriously want me to play the blame game? It happened, no one could change that. It all started with him running off on me."

"Blame it on the guy that almost died, how great of you. You can never take responsibility for the results of your actions, I'm sick of it."

"Yes, the hell I do!" The statement was punctuated with a stomp. "I am very close to losing it Izumi, and I don't want any from you. If you can't deal with me, get the heck out of my care. Do you know what I am sick of, people that do not have authority over me acting as if they do. I do not need you or Kazuki talking down on me like I am the issue. We all know who is in charge here, me. Every time that you two forget that, something bad happens, and the pattern seems to repeat itself. I am the ones in charge of you and Kazuki. You aren't under the same circumstances as Kazuki, if you want to leave, leave! I don't know why you're still here if you hate me so much. Give me your contact to this family and I will surely tear it into shreds and let you go!"

There was silence and Kazuki thought for a second that his hearing was being weird. He then heard, "I would never leave Kazuki alone with you."

"Then I suggest you stop acting idiotic before I fire you. I only have one person I need to train, and it isn't you."

"Yes, I'm sorry, Lady Shion."

Kazuki tried to sit up in his bed, but he felt a sting in the back of his back, causing him to cry out in pain and fall back into the soft bedding. There were footsteps and the curtain in front of him was pulled open, revealing Izumi. His eyes were red from cry but he was smiling nonetheless.

"Kazuki," Izumi said although it sounded more like a sigh. He rushed over to Kazuki's bedside but stopped right next to him, not sure what he was supposed to do. With as sigh, he leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. "You're an idiot."

Kazuki gave a weak smile response.

Shion followed in a second later, a very solemn look on her face. Kazuki wouldn't say it to her, but he could tell that she was worn out by the day and also seemed like she was crying, but not as much as Izumi.

"Izumi, go get a nurse please, tell them that Kazuki woke up."

Izumi looked over at her and then at Kazuki as if he didn't want to leave Kazuki with the girl again. He pushed the hair from Kazuki's face before nodding and leaving the room. Without saying a word, Shion went over to the counter and got a cup with a straw in it. She helped Kazuki drink, which he was thankful for.

"You were cut really bad," she finally said. "You have stitches and it will scar," Shion spoke in such a monotonous voice like she was trying to hide emotions. "You lost a lot a blood but not too much that you went into shock. You won't be expecting much from you for a while, being you need a good length of time to recover without doing harm. Our stay in England will be extended a bit further before we go back to Japan." She looked down at her hands, thinking of something Kazuki knew she wouldn't say because they both already knew. She didn't want to deal with her father so close to the incident.

"Kazuki, why did you do that?" Shion asked as she took a seat next to him. "You just yelled at me about how much you hate me yet you... you shielded me with your own body."

Kazuki lifted his hand and placed it on top of Shion's head. Her honey eyes were watery when she raised her head.

"Because I have to protect you. You are my responsibility as much as I'm yours. Besides, Mister Miyu said that if anything bad happened to you when I'm in watching you, then he'd do the same to me. So I can't really have you die on me, now can I, Mistress?"


	8. Chapter 8

It didn't take too long for Kazuki to collect himself after the day he went horse riding wit Kaoru. It was emotionally tiring think of his past and Izumi, but he knew that one emotional breakdown was all he needed for a while. Kazuki told himself that he would never forget anything, but he won't let it mess with the now. Aiko was also helping him a great deal too. Over the weekend, they had signed him up to be in the martial arts dojo nearby, which they both knew would be a good way from him to vent his emotions in a way that had a positive effect.

Aiko was really worried about him, her only seeing him cry once in her entire life. Kazuki had to insist that he was okay Monday morning after she had refused to leave him for too long over the weekend. She was still learning to be the sister that Kazuki needed, and Kazuki was grateful for it. Aiko kept commenting that she was really proud of Kazuki, how she honestly expected him to have a breakdown months ago. He had to take it as a compliment at that moment, knowing that she would never say something that would upset him. Aiko, even though they weren't related biological, was the best sister Kazuki could ask for. She was younger than him, but she acting as such a protecting figure that she felt more like the older one in the relationship.

Monday morning, Kazuki went straight to class to find Sayuri, who was sitting down reading a novel. Her hands were clutching the cover and her eyes read over the pages with a wild, determined look. Kazuki looked at her with a raised brow and went to place his hand on her shoulder. Right before he made contact, she shouted, "Gideon, you idiot!"

The outburst scared Kazuki and he immediately retracted his hand and took a step back. The girl obviously made the choice of reading a book she was very passionate about at school.

"Uh, Sayuri, are you alright?" Kazuki asked causatively.

"No, no I am not alright," she hissed. "Because some people are really stupid. Why can't he just kiss him already? It is simple, you like him, he likes you, just do it!"

Kazuki smiled, loving how Sayuri was always herself, no matter what he was going through in life. He took his seat next to her and placed his elbow on the table with his head resting his open palm. "What is it this time, opposites attacking, liking the first guy he saw, or the destiny ship?"

She shook her head with a frown. "The worse, most agonizing one, the childhood friends."

Kazuki inhaled deeply as if he was hurt. "Ouch, you're right, that is the worse. Yaoi, yuri, or straight the chance of getting with the childhood best friend is so slim it is nonexistent. Old friends can never be a good couple."

"Don't think that!" Sayuri said a bit more harshly than Kazuki expected to. "Your friends are the ones that know things and will help you because they have spent far more time than anyone else. If anything, the next thing in a relationship like that is to date." Sayuri said it all with almost a preaching like way like she agreed with it all wholehearted. Her determined looks became a bit uneasy when she focused on Kazuki's expression that said 'oh really'.

"Well, that's what I believe for this story," she mumbled, placing the book down. "How was your weekend, didn't hear much from you."

Kazuki hummed and shrugged his shoulders. "Not too eventful, I signed up to go to the dojo, which should be fun enough."

Sayuri smiled and softly punched his arm. "Nice, don't get your ass beat too much, and if you do start to cry, send me a picture. You're eyeing look even shinier when they have tears in them."

"Sayuri, you're a freak," Kazuki said.

"We both know that I'm positive about that. Besides, you look nice when you're pouty."

Kazuki gave her a smug smile. "Correction, I always look nice."

It became easier for Kazuki to perform his hostly duty after every meeting. Some of the girls actually bored him, which he couldn't say and had to deal with, others were interesting and he enjoyed his time talking with those. He knew that it had basically become his unpaid job, but he still had a good time overall.

He had been sitting with a girl named Nanami for a while. She was sweet and had been seeing him for a while now. The girl even brought him cookies not too long ago, an aspect that Kazuki loved about being a host.

"Nanami?" a voice questioned, making both the girl and Kazuki look over. Tamaki was looking over at them, a hurt expression playing on his face.

"T-Tamaki," she said, rushing over to him. "Um, hi."

"What were you and Kazuki talking about?" Tamaki continued, giving the other host a questioning look.

"Umm, well," she mumbled, fiddling with her fingers.

"Well," Kazuki said. "She was thanking me for talking with her the other day. She said it really helped."

"You went to Kazuki?" the blonde looked as if he'd been shot in the heart.

"No, yes, it's complicated," she said.

"No, Nanami, it isn't. Either you did or didn't."

"Okay, I did," she said. Tamaki inhaled sharply and looked away. "But I'm sorry. I was thinking of you the whole time." She placed her hands on his chest trying to get him to look at her.

"But you still went to him," he said, taking her hands from him.

"It was a one-time thing, it will never happen again. Please, Tamaki, I'm sorry."

"Tell me, did you bring him the cookies?" he asked, his eyes watering with fake tears and a pout playing on his lips.

"I did," she said softly. The blonde gasped and turned away, clutching his chest like he was shot in the heart.

Kazuki just looked on as the two discussed the topic. Tamaki was an odd person and it seemed like every day he was becoming more and more extra.

"She went to you instead of Tamaki?" Haruhi asked as she approached the raven haired student. She had an expression mixed with both annoyance and understanding, almost like she had seen this a million times and will only see it more.

"Yeah, but they make it sound different," Kazuki said as he tried to hold in his smile. _I really need to stop making everything into innuendos._

Haruhi signed. "Tamaki-senpai always likes to make things a bit more than they are." Although she seemed a bit fed up with it, Kazuki saw her smile a bit. "I guess it is part of his charm."

 _Oh my god, they are so cute. They are the OTP, Tamaharu for life!_ Kazuki wasn't the kind of person that would ship his classmates, but the two of them were really cute and he just needed them to do something, anything, to allow some sort of relationship to form.

Kazuki left his shipping thoughts alone when he noticed that his new client had arrived. He couldn't help but smile when he realized it was Yuki.

"Hello, Kazuki," she said with a smile.

"Good afternoon, did you miss me, beautiful?" the host said with a smile and he leaned back onto the couch. The compliant colored her cheeks and she spoke with Kazuki. A good way through she said something that alarmed Kazuki.

"What did you say?" he said, sitting up a bit straighter.

Yuki looked at him a bit confused. "People are saying that someone is coming to Ouran to settle unfinished business with a new student here. Some people are saying that there will be a fight or something, but that's not happening here."

"Is there any information about this person?" Kazuki asked. He had acquired a few enemies over time and he was a bit paranoid thinking that it could be someone after him. Maybe it was just him being paranoid or thinking about things too much, but he could never be too careful.

"Um, I think that said something about a Seiji Kiori, something like that."

Kazuki's stomach dropped. "Reiji Iori," he barely whispered.

Yuki smiled. "Yeah, that's him, how'd you know?"

Kazuki tried to hide his nervousness as he stood up. "Please give me a second, darling." As he was walking to the bathroom to wash his face, Kazuki received a text. He opened his phone to see it was from Sayuri.

_S: KAZUKI HE IS HERE!_

_Kazuko's eyes grew wide and he barely managed to respond._

_K: Are you serious!? Does he know where I am?_

_S: He's heading there know!_

_S: RUN!_

Panicking, Kazuki rushed over to Tamaki, the first person he saw. He his behind the blonde, surprising Tamaki.

"Tamaki, you need to hide me," Kazuki said frantically, clingy onto the elder student's jacket. He was looking frantically over the blonde's shoulder, searching for the threat that was surely after him. He felt his heart beating louder than it should and he only wished he could pass out and not have to deal with the problem at hand.

"What are you talking about, Kazuki?" Tamaki asked, peering down at Kazuki. "Did something happen, is someone trying to harm you?"

"Yes!" Kazuki exclaimed with wide eyes. "He is coming for me and if I don't get away in time, he may just take me alive and I will suffer for the remainder of the millennium. When he gets here, tell him I'm in Spain but I will really be in America."

Tamaki's faced paled in shock as he took Kazuki hands in his, clenching them tightly. "As president of this club, I promise to protect you from anything and everything that could cause you harm in any way." His large purple eyes staring down into Kazuki's eyes. "Tell me what is the problem, I swear by my fatherly love to Haruhi that I will save you."

A smile played on Kazuki's lips. "Thank you, senpai."

"Kazuki!" a cheerful voice said near the two. Tamaki and Kazuki both looked over to see a guy about the height of Haruhi, chestnut hair in a wild mess. His jade eyes held excitement but his smile soon fell as they focused on Kazuki and Tamaki.

The guy blinked a few times and walked over to the two. He placed a hand on Tamaki's shoulder and violently pushed him off, throwing him into a near wall face first. Kazuki's jaw dropped when he witnessed the club president get thrown so far.

"Oh, Kazuki, why was he holding your hand?" the boy asked with a blank face. "If he trying to court you-"

"No!" Kazuki exclaimed. "No, it wasn't like that in the slightest, I swear."

"K-Kazuki," Tamaki stuttered, turning to the others. "Wh-Who is this guy?"

The stranger looked at Tamaki with a disgusted looked. "I am Reiji Iori, the third child of the Iori family and Kazuki's fiance."

Many faces in the room had various expressions of shock, from the surprise of the news to the sight of Tamaki's stunned face. Not a word was spoken and people just stared the mysterious boy.

"You people act as if you haven't seen a gay couple before," Reiji said with a hint of a mocking tone in his words. "Hey, Kazuki, should I give a public display of affection" He wiggled his eyebrows and placed his hands on Kazuki shoulders. Before Kazuki could get a word out, Reiji was already pressing their lips together.

The girls seemed to gasped in unison, some squealing in excitement others covering their mouths to hide large smiles and opened mouths. Tamaki was frozen in place, like a statue forever cursed to wear an experience of stunned clueless for all of eternity. Even from where they were sitting, the twins could see the exchanges that happened and they had no way to react.

Finally, Kazuki pushed Reiji off of him and yell, "get a hold of yourself, you fool!"

Reiji looked a bit flabbergasted, but they didn't stop him from nervously smiling and letting out a "'Kay."

* * *

 

With the room cleared of guest for the day, the host sat on the couch with Kazuki in front of them. He had his hand on a smiling Reiji, while Kazuki himself wished he could just go home at this point. All he wanted to do was host, go out with Aiko, and go to his lovely bed.

"Guys, this is Reiji Iori," Kazuki said, introducing the guy next to him. "He is an old friend and not my fiance."

"Aw, but Kazuki," he said in a sing-song way with his hands clenched under his chin and body wiggling in excitement. "You know my parents don't care about my sexuality, I don't need to get married and have kids, so let's just get married already. Honestly, stopping holding back." The guy wrapped his arms around Kazuki and snuggled his face into Kazuki's chest.

Kazuki sighed and continued. "He's a first year and I would say we've been close for a while." _Close enough to the point where I won't kill him even when I want to._

Reiji said something that sounded like, "yeah, before you _left_ to England," but it was unclear due to the fact his face was still in Kazuki's jacket.

Kazuki sent him a glare. "And he is sorry for disturbing the club today, right, Reiji?" Reiji looked up and could see what Kazuki was trying to get him to do.

Reiji stood straight and bowed to the others. "Sorry."

Tamaki quickly stood up with a smile. "All is forgiven," he said in a confident voice. "A friend of a host is a friend of the club." Tamaki rubbed his forehead where he hit the wall. "You have quite an arm, you kind of remind me of someone."

"Really?" Reiji said, cocking his head to the side. While Tamaki was giving some sort of speech about befriending people, Reiji looked past him and to Haruhi. The girl was averting her eyes from Reiji, looking a bit too suspicious. Reiji outright ignored Tamaki and went straight past him to Haruhi. Reiji stared hard at Haruhi, and the girl couldn't help but give him a very nervous smile.

As if something clicked into place, Reiji's face brightened again. "Haruhi Fujioka!" Reiji practically shouted. "Oh my gosh, it's you! It's been a while. How's Ranka, is he doing well? Tell him I'm sorry I haven't been by to see him recently, my parents kind of figured out I was sneaking out to the bar, oops. It wasn't like I was drinking, I just like talking to your dad. Hey, why are you wearing a guy's uniform, I didn't know you were into that." He let out a gasp. "Does Ranka now his little girl is crossdressing?"

Tamaki fell silent and turning slowly at Reiji. "You know about Haruhi?" he said in a shaky voice.

Reiji gave Tamaki a raised brow. "Of course I do, do you not?" He said it as if it was it was the most common information ever.

The blonde turned towards Kazuki, but even he was beyond shocked at the fact that Reiji knew Haruhi's gender. Kazuki knew that Reiji was unpredictable, it was just how he was, but that was something he wouldn't have thought of in a million years.

"Well," Reiji said, sitting on the arm of the couch closest to Haruhi and kicking his feet. "Haruhi's dad and I are good friends and I've seen her quite often because of that, right Haruhi?"

"Yeah," Haruhi said. "How have you been Reiji-san?"

"Peachy," he said with a large smile, "especially since I just enrolled here today so I'll be seeing you," he leaned over and tapped Haruhi's nose, "and Kazuki a lot more."

"Wait, wait, wait," Kazuki said, walking over to Reiji. "You're attending Ouran?"

The youngest guy let out a hum. "Yup, I surely am. I also think that Shion wil-" Reiji didn't get to finish his sentence because Kazuki clamped his hand over Reiji's mouth.

"I'm sorry," Kazuki said to the other hosts but wasn't looking at any of them. His words were cold and his gaze was harder than steel. "Reiji tends to speak without think. Please excuse us, we have some personal matters to discuss." Kazuki didn't wait for an answer from anyone, he gripped Reiji harshly by his arm and practically dragged him out of the room. He brought Reiji to an empty room and slammed the door loudly. His mind was running frantically and all he needed was to lay down. They past few days were already hard on him due to him thinking back on his life, which never did him good, but know a living part of it was right in front of him. For some reason, all he could think of was how he really needed Sayuri, she always made things right. If she knew what was happening, she'd say or do something perfect or perfectly stupid to help it all change.

"Ow, Kazuki, you're hurting him," Reiji cried out, making Kazuki focus on the present once again. He looked down a noticed that his grip was much harder than he was attending, so he quickly let go.

"Sorry," Kazuki said with a sigh.

Reiji looked at Kazuki with a concerned face. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Kazuki rubbed his face in a frustrated way, trying to figure out the best way to tell Reiji this. "Reiji, you remember my situation, right?" Kazuki asked.

"Oh that," he responded in an annoyed tone. "You 'studying abroad in England.'" He gave air quotes, symbolizing his knowledge of the lie.

"Yes, that," Kazuki said. He gestured to the door, "they think that is what really happened."

Reiji's face paled and he began to look more uneasy as the seconds passed. "I'm sorry, I just, I didn't know."

"Yeah, you didn't. Reiji, listen to me, the only people that know about me are you, Sayuri, Aiko, our dad, and Shion. The host club in not in the loop and I don't want anyone else knowing."

"But, Shigure, you-"

"Stop calling me Shigure, god dammit!" Kazuki shouted, punctuating his words with a stomp. "I am not Shigure, so don't let that name leave you damn mouth!" He hated it, hated it so much. Why must this be resurfacing when he is trying to go one? It has been less than two years and it seems like everything's just falling apart. He didn't know if he would be able to keep it together if Reiji was here. Sayuri and him both knew Kazuki before he was Kazuki, they knew who Shigure was. Although Aiko knew of Kazuki's life as a servant, she met him through her visits to Shion, she never knew him before. Sayuri and him were close at the very beginning of their lives, and after Kazuki was under the Hiro's care, he made it a point to go and find her again. And then there was Reiji, someone who seemed to pop up in every stage of Kazuki's life all on his own. From the first day Reiji met him as Shigure, from when Reiji's eldest brother was engaged to Shion and the younger boys met again, and then when Kazuki casually met him when on a day's outing. Kazuki saw it as a series of odd encounters, while Reiji saw it as fate that they were meant to be.

Kazuki shook his head. "Reiji," he said more in a sigh. He pulled the younger boy into a hug and pushed Reiji's face into the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, I'm not supposed to do that to you."

"It's fine," Reiji whispered. "I talk too much, it's my fault."

Kazuki pulled him off and looked into Reiji's jade eyes, one of them much duller than the other. The blind one. The reason why Reiji was bullied by kids, which caused Kazuki to step in and protect him. So long ago, when bullies were the only demons Kazuki had to deal with. "Reiji, I will tell you it again, remember it; I am Kazuki Hiro, I am the son of Ryuu and Mei Hiro, I went abroad to England at eight and came back at fifteen. That's it, that is all you need to remember. You can say we are the best of friends, went to the beach together, whatever, but you have to remember that story because that is what they think is the truth. Got it?"

If only life was that easy, is only that story was the truth and not a cover up to what Kazuki's life really was.

Reiji nodded, looking as if he was able to cry. "Got it."

"Now let's go, if we're alone a second longer they are going to think that we are making out or something."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Reiji said with a mischievous look.

Kazuki rolled his eyes. "Yes, it is. And if you kiss me again, I promise I will kill you."

"Kya, Kazuki is so scary. Any other secrets I need to know?"

Kazuki looked up and said, "Don't tell anyone that Haruhi is a girl, that's a secret." Kazuki knew that it was more likely for the best friends in Sayuri's book to get together than it was for Reiji to keep a secret for long, but he had to hope the younger boy could do it.

Reiji groaned and swayed as he stepped. "People are way too complicated, 'don't say this', 'they can't know that'. Why can't we all just be honest and say everything?"

Kazuki rubbed the other's head and gave a weak smile. "If only that was the case, but when something bad happens or you're just too far into something to get out of it, it becomes a bit too hard to go back to the truth."

Kazuki knew that Reiji didn't have struggles like other people in life. Where he had to deal with bullies and defending himself, others like Kazuki had to struggle against himself as well as others. Intangible things like promises, threats, and secrets were making all too real weights that were keeping Kazuki down at times. Yeah, he never got beaten because of things he couldn't control, but he sure as hell had been scared in many ways imaginable.

"Reiji, would you like to go out and get something to eat?" Kazuki asked as he entered the music room.

Reiji gasped. "Are you asking me on a date?"

Kazuki rolled his eyes as he groaned. "No, I mean going to get some food with Sayuri, Aiko, and myself."

"Sayuri!" Reiji shouted happily. "I saw her earlier when I was looking for you, I need to talk with her. Gosh, it's been so long, I can't wait to be with our lovely little devil."

"'Our lovely little devil', I like that name," Kazuki said with a laugh. "It totally suits her."

No more than an hour later, Reiji, Sayuri, Aiko, and Kazuki were all at a cafe, enjoying tea and sweets. They exchanged jokes, stories, and overall randomness. None of them thought of the negative or anything that was waiting for them once they got back to their houses. The only thing each student thought of was how fun it was to be sitting there with one another. Kazuki, especially, seemed to let it all go, even if it was only for those couple of hours, he allowed himself to focus on the now. It felt right, and he realized that sitting with the three people that knew about him, each one of them were there for him. And that thought itself seemed to just make him smile more.


	9. Chapter 9

Kaoru was conflicted. It was the most accurate word that could describe how he was feeling for some time. Usually, he would talk to Hikaru when he was feeling this way, his twin usually knowing exactly what to say. Things were different this time around, all beginning with Kazuki. Kaoru never paid much attention to Kazuki starting his second year when the other joined the school. They had a few classes together, but they rarely even spoke, but know Kazuki was a host so they would interact with each other every day. Kaoru no longer felt uneasy when he was with Kazuki, although the day in the closest did have an effect on him.

Kaoru had been quite introverted throughout the years, only just opening up the year before when Tamaki started the host club. This being said, he didn't have many relationships outside of his family, much less a romantic or even sexual one. The most that had ever happened was that he kissed Hikaru when they were in grade school. They were as close as siblings could get, so it wasn't very big. They were small at the time and they didn't know much about how things worked. They would never do it now, but back then it was okay in their heads to do it that one time. But it was the most Kaoru had ever done in his life, he wasn't even the one who instigated it. Of course, he was a guy and had to deal with urges from time to time, but even those were rare. Now, there was a guy he barely even knew who went down on him. Even with the circumstances being what they were, Kaoru wouldn't have said he didn't like it. To be honest, after that day, he became and bit more aware of things that pertain to things he shouldn't think of.

At first, he thought it was nothing. It was just new for him and thinking about it kind of excited him, but that was it. There was no way that it had to do with Kazuki in particular.

That is what he kept telling himself.

It just could be that it was Kazuki who started all of this. Kaoru did know he liked guys as well as girls, but he didn't really go around telling people that. But every time he tried to think of a guy in general, Kazuki always came into his mind. Yeah, Kazuki was attractive in several ways. He had a good personality, his eyes were really gorgeous, when he was uneasy he talked in a really funny way, and he had a nice smile...

Kaoru had to stop, he knew that. He knew he didn't like Kazuki like that, he was positive. Their relationship just made it to friendship level. So why did he feel upset when that boy, Reiji, came into the club the other day declaring Kazuki as his fiance and kissing him? Kaoru just watched with wide eye and clenched fist, and the only thing he thought was that he wanted to pull the strange boy off of Kazuki.

Was it jealousy? That wouldn't make any sense, Kaoru wasn't sure if it was the lie or the kiss that upstaged him, but still, it didn't really right to think either would upset him.

Did he want to marry Kazuki? No, that would be weird and, again, they didn't even know each other that much.

Did he want to kiss Kazuki? Kaoru surprised himself when he realized that he kind of wanted to. But why? He thought of the other hosts, thinking if he would with any of them. He even thought no for Haruhi, who he used to have a crush on.

What in the world was he thinking?

"Kaoru, are you okay?" Hikari asked his twin with a concerned look.

Kaoru looked over with a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine." That was a big lie. Having all theses thoughts of Kazuki didn't help ease his mind; moreover, they were heading to Kazuki's house right then. Tamaki came up with the idea of coming to visit Kazuki, thinking it would be fun to have the group be able to get closer to the new host. Haruhi tried to tell Tamaki that surprise visits weren't very nice, so he called Aiko to give her brother a heads up.

Kaoru gave an exasperated sigh, trying to calm his thoughts. He just needed to stop thinking these things and just enjoy the outing like the rest of the host. Poke fun at Kazuki and get to know him a bit more, as a friend of course.

The twins' limo pulled up into the luxury driveway of the Hiros' house. They were following another, which had Kyoya, Tamaki, and Haruhi in it. Everyone got out of and met at the front door, exchanging greetings.

"I just want to thank everyone for coming out here today," Tamaki said with a large smile. "I think it says a lot for us to come and see our new host and get to know him better."

"At least you didn't just show up out of nowhere," Haruhi said with a sideways glance.

Tears filled Tamaki's eyes and he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Haruhi, are you still mad at me for that? I'm sorry I did it, please forgive me!"

She looked away with a blank expression. "Senpai, you still do it."

The conversation was cut short when the doors were opened, allowing the group to enter. In front of them stood a butler who smiled genuinely at them. "Hello, you must be the guest from Ouran Academy," he said.

"That we are," Kyoya said with a kind voice, pushing up his glasses.

"Welcome to the Hiro residence, please, come in." The man led through the foyer and into a large passing by a staircase that went to the second floor. "Master Kazuki and Lady Aiko should be down shortly, please excuse their tardiness."

As they were going into a sitting room to the left, the group heard a shout come from up the stairs.

"Aiko, bring your butt over here before I kill you!"

Everyone stopped in their tracks as laughter and quick steps were heard coming down the stair. "I said you shouldn't wear this, Kazu-chan."

The hosts witnessed Aiko coming down the stair, running towards the group with her head looking over her shoulders. The girl stopped abruptly when she noticed that her guest had already arrived. Her chocolate brown, wavy hair was framing her face.

"Oh, you guys are here already," she said with a wary smile. Her breath was heavy due to the fact she was running around.

"We did say we would be here at noon," Kyoya said in a matter of fact voice.

"Aiko!" Kazuki shouted as he entered the room with an angered expression.

Kaoru could help but stare at Kazuki, although he knew he shouldn't be. The guy only had a towel around his waist, and the way his hair was dripping wet and clinging to his face was evidence that he had just gotten out of the shower. And even though he knew it was wrong of his, Kaoru could help but admire the other physic. He was built slim, but still had lean muscles and a defined stomach, which seemed to shine because of the wetness of his skin. Just seeing the almost naked guy made Kaoru blush.

As if he didn't see the large group, he marched to his sister and snatched the clothes that were in her hands. "I'm so done with you." He finally looked over at the hosts, squinting his eyes at them. "Who is that?" he mumbled to himself. Within a second, he groaned and placed his fingers on his forehead, his palm over his eyes. "Please don't tell me that's them."

Aiko looked over at the host with an apologetic smile. "I won't then." She placed her hands on Kazuki's back and walked him over to the door he came from. She whispered something to him and pushed him out the room and closed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry about that," she said with a very uneasy smile. "We were having another of our... episodes."

"So you have them often?" Hikaru said with a mischievous smile.

Aiko shrugged. "It's a sibling thing, you should know about it. The maid should be bringing snacks and tea, and once everything is situated, we can go out."

"Thank you for hosting us," Tamaki said. "You really are a beautiful person."

"No problem," Aiko said. Her gaze went from Tamaki to Haruhi and she gave the brunette a very suspicious look. "Haruhi, why are you wearing a dress?"

The room fell silent and the question, all eyes were on Haruhi. She looked at each person and said, "cut that out, I thought she knew."

"I feel like this secret is becoming less of a secret," Kaoru said with a laugh.

"Might as well tell everyone now," Hikaru followed up.

Tamaki grabbed them both by their collar. "Don't you dare say a word, you clowns," he snapped. "This is something that must stay within this room. How do you think Haruhi will feel if we exposed her to the world?" He let go of them places his hand on his chest. "I will not allow you to put that kind of pressure on her."

"You just don't want the other guys to know," Hikaru said.

Kaoru leaned against his brother. "I guess he just wants to keep Haruhi to himself."

Tamaki flushed a little in his cheek. "T-That isn't true. I am just trying to keep her safe. Mommy, tell them I am just trying to be a good dad."

"Of course," Kyoya said as he looked around the room. "Tamaki just wants the best for our little girl."

Haruhi and Aiko just watched as the guys bickered and Tamaki went back and forth with the twins.

"So, you really are a girl," Aiko said to her, no looking away from the boys.

"Yeah," Haruhi said with a nod.

"Cool." A maid brought in a platter of sweets and refreshments, allowing everyone to settle in a bit. Kaoru gazed around the room they were in. It was spacious and decorated nicely. Enough seating to hold twice the number of people in there, book shelves with varying subjects, and a few personal things. On the fireplace mantel were photos framed in elegant frames. Kaoru got up from is spot and walked over to them. He made eye contact with Aiko and asked, "may I?"

"Of course," she said with a smile.

There was one of a man and woman, more than likely their parents, single ones with each of the kids, and a few with them together. One that really caught Kaoru's eye was one with a little girl grinning widely, holding the arm of a boy. It was of Aiko and Kazuki. He didn't look like he wanted to take it, and by the grin she was making, it didn't seem like Aiko cared. Kazuki smiled at her a bit unusual, not looking at the camera. They look to be about eleven and ten. Nowhere did he see a younger picture of Kazuki, like there was of Aiko, which he kind of wanted to see.

The door opened and everyone looked over. Dressed this time, was Kazuki. He had a pair of jeans with a shirt and vest. What was shocking was the fact that he was wearing a pair of thick-rimmed, black glasses. "Sorry about earlier."

"Who's this?" Tamaki asked, cocking his head to the side as he stood up and walked to Kazuki.

"Kazuki," the boy said with a raised brow.

Tamaki walked around the other. "No way, Kazuki doesn't wear glasses."

"Kazuki didn't have the patience to put his contacts in, so he settled for glasses for today," he spoke in the third person with a hint of annoyance in his tone.

"I didn't know you wore contacts," Kaoru said with a raised eyebrow.

Kazuki shrugged. "I didn't know Haruhi did either until I was told," he said pushing up his glasses. "Small things you learn over time I guess."

The action was familiar because of Kyoya's tendency to do it, but Kaoru's heart fluttered ever so slightly when Kazuki performed the action.

"Again, sorry about what happened," Kazuki said. "I did not intend that and I would like if you all forgot the incident."

"Hey, Kazuki, no one cares," Aiko said with a wave of her hand. "Now that you're here, would you like to tell everyone where you planned to go out to."

"We aren't staying here?" Tamaki asked with a confused look.

Kazuki shook his head. "Nah, my house isn't very fun, so I thought it would be more fun to go out and do something."

"Like what?"

Kaoru stood at the end of the rink, looking out onto the ice. Holding on to the railing because he wasn't used to the bladed shoes. Having never gone ice skating, he didn't feel prepared in the slightest. He watched as Haruhi took to it as if it was second nature, and she was helping Tamaki, who was doing pretty good for a beginner. The blonde wore a large grin, stunned by the activity, more than likely have never gone before. Kyoya seemed to refuse to skate and was sitting down on a bench doing something on a laptop Kaoru didn't know he had. And seeing Hikaru skate almost like a professional made Kaoru realize that them being twins didn't mean they were the same. As of recently, it seemed like they were growing more as individuals lately, but nothing too drastic it seemed.

"Are you not going to get on?" a voice asked behind him. Kaoru turned around to see Kazuki by him, skates already on his feet. "I don't think you'll die."

Kaoru gave a small laugh. "I have never done it before, so I am just a bit hesitant."

Kazuki nodded and stepped onto the frozen ground. He extended a hand for Kaoru to take, giving him a smile also. "Come on, I got you."

With a deep breath, Kaoru took Kazuki's hand and stepped onto the ice. Immediately after putting both skates onto the frozen rink, Kaoru began to wobble. He lunged forwards into Kazuki's chest. Their forearms were against each other and Kazuki's held Kaoru up.

"Don't freak," Kazuki said calmly. "It takes getting used to, but I know you'll get the hang of it."

Even though he was in a cold room, Kaoru still felt a bit warm leaning into Kazuki. He nodded and tried to stand up, like a baby deer trying to walk for the first time. At Least a baby critter would have been more a bit cute, he knew he looked ridiculous and very out of place.

"You got this," Kazuki said, helping him stand straight. Kaoru was able to be still, standing fully straight with his arms outstretched. He smiled widely at Kazuki as if he had accomplished a grand goal. Kazuki instructed him how to move, holding onto Kaoru's left arm the whole time. He guided him to the wall and allowed Kaoru to help steady himself.

"You're doing good," Kazuki said.

"Is this return for the horse ride?" Kaoru asked with a grin. Kazuki shrugged his shoulders and hummed.

"Don't fall," Aiko said, zipping by them in a dash.

"Show off," Kazuki shouted back.

Aiko just laughed as she skated backward, an action that was about second nature for her.

"Do you guys skate a lot?" Kaoru asked.

"A bit. It was one of her favorite hobbies when she was younger. She is more of a speed skater, but we watched a show recently that has her thinking about picking up figure skating. I don't come too often, but I can go around without fall on my face."

Kaoru gave him a raised brow. "Are you teasing me?"

"No," Kazuki said sarcastically. "I'm just saying we can have such an attractive face be bruised because of the ice. Just think of what the girl would say."

The statement made Kaoru blush, not even sure why it made him feel so warm inside. A yelp came from the other end and the two guy looked over to see what we happening. It seemed as if Aiko had collided with Tamaki, both of them being on the ground with Haruhi standing over them with a concerned look. Although the two seemed to have a bit of pain caused by the crash, Kazuki snickered at his sister.

"She has fallen for the prince," he said with a lightness to his voice. He looked a bit seriously at them, Aiko blushing and apologizing well Tamaki brushes it off with a smile and more than likely a flirty comment. "How many of the girl do you think actually fall in love with the host?"

Kaoru gave him a confused look, not suspecting the question. "I'm actually not sure," he responded. "A lot of the time it isn't really them 'loving' us, but the way that we make them feel and them just enjoying the experience. If anything, it is more of high affection or interest."

Kazuki nodded, removing his eyes from his sister and looking back at Kaoru. "Let's continue, or you will be hanging onto me all day. Seriously, you're no Yuuri."

"Who?"

Kazuki smiled and let out a chuckle that caused Kaoru's heart to flutter. "Nothing."

* * *

Kaoru laid in his bed, looking up at what would be the ceiling, but it was too dark to see anything. It was maybe midnight, could be later, but he wasn't able to fall asleep. Some might have thought it was because of the dull aching of his butt and legs from the number of times he fell at the ice rink. It was a fun day but it did leave him with a lot on his mind. Most of it because of Kazuki.

He couldn't make it out, it was all just weird and jumbled. With the interactions that the two have had, the horse riding and ice skating upon their usual host interactions, Kaoru did know he liked Kazuki as a friend. But people don't think of images ogf their friend wet and shirtless, especially how sexy that person looked. People shouldn't be hung up on how nice it felt to be held in a friend's arms, that the moment was so tranquil and pleasing. Or how freaking hot it was when their friend blew them in a closet.

Kaoru shot up in bed, eyes wide. Hikaru, who he still shared a bed with, grumbled and looked at his twin.

"Are you alright?" he asked, sleep deepening his voice. Hikaru was about to drape his arms around his brother for comfort, but Kaoru quickly got out of bed.

"I need to use the bathroom," he said, making his way across the room and into the bathroom as quickly as he could. Kaoru had to refrain from slamming the door, knowing that it would only alarm his brother. He leaned against the door, trying to calm his breath.

 _Not good, no good. No. Good._ Why in the word did thinking of that arouse him!? It felt so wrong, he was thinking about Kazuki, _Kazuki._

_Did thinking about Kazuki really turn me on?_

Kaoru's usually calm demeanor broke and he felt like he was about to pass out. It took a few breaths, trying to focus a bit. First thing first, he had to deal with his...problem. He quickly turned on the shower, making sure the water was colder than usual. Stripping off his boxer he stepped into the shower, immediately shivering at the cold. So this settled it, he was attracted to Kazuki. But it didn't feel like a crush, not like the one he had on Haruhi. This one was way needier, it felt more... sexual in a way.

Lust.

Kaoru leaned his forehead on the shower wall with a groan of frustration. He was lusting for Kazuki. And he couldn't tell how he felt about it. He was finally having his 'sexual awakening' his mother used to playfully joke about. But on his classmate, it seemed way too strange. Not only that but how could he make such a big deal about the incident before and then turn around and say that he enjoyed what Kazuki did. Should he just be honest with Kazuki and tell him? But what would Kazuki say, what would he think of Kaoru? Could he really fight these newly awaken desires?

Kaoru stepped out of the shower and dried himself off. He sat on the toilet seat for a moment, a towel draped around his neck, his auburn hair dripping. He stared up at the ceiling of the bathroom, wonder what to do.

Surely, Kaoru was conflicted.


	10. Chapter 10

Kazuki sat on the mat, watching the other students take each other down one by one. Although he had done judo, along with other martial arts, for many years, he had never been in this kind of environment. Shion hired private tutors to teach him, it being the best way for her to keep him nearby but taught. This being said, watching the others do it right in front of him was really interesting. Although it took him a few rounds to get back into the swing of things, Kazuki was doing quite well. He won a few matches, successfully able to pin his opponent down, other's he was the one tapping out. Kazuki honestly preferred karate over judo, but he wasn't picky. He had been there for more than an hour and was starting to get tired. He would have left by now if it hadn't been for this strange pair that walked in. It was a kid who looked to be around twelve with wide brown eyes and blonde hair. He seemed happy and grinned widely as he spoke to a much taller, raven haired guy with a poker-faced expression.

Kazuki was waiting for them to go against someone, just to see what they were like, what he wasn't expecting was for the dojo instructor to pair him with the small kid. The blonde hopped up and said something to the taller guy before meeting Kazuki in the middle. The two bowed at each other before starting. Kazuki noticed how everyone seemed to be watching intensely at the two as if a history making match was about to begin.

The fact that he lost didn't shock Kazuki in the slightest; what was confusing was how. He could have sworn he only took a step before he was laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Did he black out or something? He didn't even remember tapping out, but the blonde boy was standing above him looking victorious.

"Wanna try again?" he asked in a sweet voice, and it flabbergasted Kazuki that a child had just gotten the better of him. Kazuki nodded, they retook their positions, beginning the match.

And Kazuki was on the floor once again.

"How?" Kazuki said in a confused voice as he got up, looking at the other.

"You need to train more," the blonde boy said like a child pretending to scold someone. "You need to watch your opponent, and you're a bit easy to read."

Was this guy trying to give Kazuki pointers or criticizing him? "Thanks, I am out of practice," Kazuki said with a sigh.

"It fine, just practice more and you'll get really, really good, right Takashi?" the blonde looked over to his companion, the tall guy, Takashi, nodded in response.

He didn't even notice it until he was there, but Kazuki had followed the small boy to where he was sitting and sat with the two. For the remainder of the session, Honey, the blonde boy, pointed out flaws in other people's stances, attacks, and defense. Kazuki nodded, recalling the old moves and information he had learned years ago.

"That guy," Honey said, pointing to the boy with long hair on the mat. "His stance is too narrow, and it will be easy to knock him down."

"But he is the one that takes quick, fast steps," Kazuki opposed. "So it does help him in that regard."

Honey nodded his head, smiling. "It is fun talking with you. I haven't seen you here before, are you new?"

"Yeah, but I plan on coming much more often," Kazuki said with a sigh, pushing back his hair that was matted to his forehead due to sweat. "What are you doing after this?"

"Takashi and I are going to meet up with our high school friends, we haven't seen them in some time."

Kazuki was taken aback for a second. "You're in high school?"

The blonde shook his head. "Not anymore, we just graduated, we're in our first year of university." Honey smiled cheekily at Kazuki. "You thought I was in grade school, didn't you?"

Kazuki smiled, slightly embarrassed. "Nah, maybe middle school."

"Hiro," the dojo instructor called, causing Kazuki to end his conversation and meet in the middle of the room for his match. He was paired with the guy with brown hair he and Honey had been assessing.

Kazuki remembered the things that Honey and he had pointed out about this guy. When the match started, Kazuki waited for him to make the first move. He was fast, but Kazuki was able to dodge his first attempt to grab him. When he passed him, Kazuki grabbed the guy by his shirt, getting a good hold of him. He was able to get the other off his feet and onto the floor. Kazuki wrapped himself around the guy with brown hair and pinned him down, waiting for him to tap. But someone caught Kazuki's eyes, making his mind leave the match for a second. In the doorway of the room was Kaoru, watching Kazuki from afar.

"Hiro!" Kazuki heard, making him focus once again on the match. Kazuki had not released his hold on the brown hair guy, and he was violently hitting the ground. It was the instructor that was yelling at Kazuki to get off of him. With an uneasy smile, Kazuki released him and apologized profusely. Kazuki was sent back to the wall, where he saw Kaoru with Honey and Takashi.

"Hey," Kazuki said, trying to catch his breath, wiping his forehead.

"Hi, Kazuki," Kaoru said with a smile. "I didn't know you came here."

"Just started. I didn't see you as the judo type."

Kaoru let out a laugh. "No, but I came for my friends." He pointed over to the two Kazuki had been talking to during the time he was there.

"Seriously?" Kazuki asked, with a tired smile. "Honey and Takashi?"

"Hey, Kaoru-chan," Honey greeted, walking over to the two. "Looks like you already met Kazu-chan."

Kazuki blinked at them, eyes going from Kaoru to Honey. "You guys went to Ouran?" Kazuki asked Honey and Mori. Mori gave a nod of approval.

"They were actually hosts, too," Kaoru said.

"No way," Kazuki said, stunned. "Wow, okay, that is cool, I guess. Um, let's step out of here." Mori and Honey said they both wanted another match, but Kaoru and Kazuki could wait for them. Somewhere along the way, Kazuki seemed to have been silently invited out with them. Kazuki and Kaoru left where people were practicing into the common area. You had to go down a hall where there was a large bathing area and where you could keep your change of clothes.

"So you're telling me that Mori and Honey are college students that did not only attend Ouran Academy but were hosts," Kazuki reported as Kaoru sat on a chair.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you've met them."

"Because in less than an hour we have made the strongest connection ever and have crocheted friendship bracelets," Kazuki joked as he leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He hadn't expected for Kaoru to be there, but here they were, sitting down together in a silence that wasn't bad in the slightest. Having Kaoru next to him did make him feel a bit fuzzy inside. Never had he thought that he would spend so much time with Kaoru. He remembered when he first met Kaoru. One his first day at Oura, he gave him a quick glance, it wasn't uncommon for some people to take a double take when they saw twins. But after everyone introduced themselves, there we left to do some work. Kazuki, being new to the school, didn't know exactly where the restroom. It was simple for him, he just turned around and asked Kaoru where it was. The whole class seemed to fall silent for a moment, staring wide-eyed at Kazuki. It made him panic a bit inside, not liking how he immediately attracted attention. Kaoru looked at his brother with a look, but then smiled and instructed Kazuki to where it was. Kazuki learned soon after that no one, _no one_ could tell the two apart, which Kazuki thought was ridiculous. Throughout the weeks, he would approach one of the twins, and over time it seemed as if it became the norm for them to expect for Kazuki to tell the two apart. Kazuki didn't try to argue with people, saying there was a difference between the two.

Kazuki let go of the memory and opened his eyes when he felt a hand touch his hair. He looked over and saw Kaoru brushing his bangs from his face and putting them behind his ear. Kazuki gazed at Kaoru's face, which had a small smile. The two made eye contact for a second.

Kaoru moved his hand fast as if Kazuki had burned him. "Sorry," he said meekly. "I-I, um, you just looked so calm."

_This is so bad but still amazing. Why is he so cute, it is a crime. Ugh, can I just hug him, I want to hug him, and squeeze him, kiss him. No, Kazuki, don't think of that stuff. But what is up with his face, is he blushing? Am I blushing? This is so bad, but god, why is he like this? This is why I can't get over him. But who said I wanted to. I need to say something, speak Kazuki._

Before Kazuki could think of something to say, Kaoru spoke again. "How do you grow your hair out so long?"

Kazuki was thankful that the other had changed the feeling. "When I was younger I had to have my hair cut short, which I had no problem with. Once I didn't need to anymore, I just grew it out as a sort of rebellion to the stupid rule I had. I didn't bother to get it cut, so yeah." He ran his fingers through his hair, the roots a bit damp because of sweat. It had reached his shoulder blades now, which made it a bit bothersome when it touched his neck. He had thought of cutting it, but he liked it. Besides, Sayuri also thought it was nice and liked to braid it when she was bored.

"I heard from the girls that you once dyed her hair blue before," Kazuki said. "What was that about?"

Kaoru gave a small smile. "It was part of a little prank we pulled. Hikaru and I were 'in a fight' and we were trying to establish that we were different people."

"But you guys are different," Kazuki said with a confused look. "Yeah, you guys are twins and it is hard to tell you two part, but it isn't impossible."

Kaoru looked at him blankly for a second before letting out a hum and smiling softly with a light blush. "Yeah," he said softly. "We are."

_God, I think he just shot me in the heart. I can't even live like this, I need to take this guy, run away from this world, and treat this amazing guy how he needs to be treated. Now that isn't up to me, but may I please just have him._

Mori and Honey walked out a moment later, Honey speaking happily and Mori listening in silence. Honey looked over at the duo and grinned widely as he waved his hand. "Hey, we're back!" As they got close Honey cocked his head at Kazuki. "Why haven't you changed yet?"

Kazuki looked down and made an 'o' shape with his mouth once he realized he was still in his judogi. "Well, obviously I am wearing it as a fashion statement. I personally think that everyone should be wearing a gi." Kazuki stood up and stretched. "But seriously, I should go change too."

Kaoru said he would wait as the three went to go change. Kazuki made sure to stay a distance from the other two as he got dressing, not wanted them to see his back. He wasn't even sure if they other hosts saw it when he went into the room after Aiko the other day. She said that she made a conscious effort to cover his back when she lead him out of the room. So far, the only person he knew had knowledge of his scar was Hikaru. He didn't like explain it and getting that layer of himself revealed, so he just avoided the situation.

Kazuki changed into casual clothes and was toweling off his hair when the Honey came over.

"So you go to Ouran, Kazu-chan?" Honey asked.

"Yeah," Kazuki responded. "Just enrolled, I am a second year."

"And you have classes with Kaoru-chan?"

"I do," Kazuki answered as he styled his hair into a ponytail. "But we didn't start hanging out until I joined the host club."

Honey's face took on an expression of pleasant surprise. "So you're the one that Tama-chan told us about." Looked over his shoulder to Mori. "Hey, Takashi, he's the one that yelled at Kyo-chan."

So that's their impression of me. "Yeah, a stupid thing on my part."

"What your type?" Honey said.

"Uh, the 'player' type," Kazuki said with quotations. "It was Renge's choice."

Honey put a finger on his cheek, thinking. "We didn't have one of those, but it is nice that they are expanding. I wonder what Tama-chan is going to do with the club when he graduates." A sad look fell over the boy as if the thought was hard to process.

Mori came up and placed a hand on Honey's head. "Mitsukuni," he said with a blank face. The blonde looked and gave the other a smile.

"Yeah, I'm not going to dwell own it," Honey said, taking Kazuki's arm. "Let's go, we can't keep Kaoru-chan waiting."

* * *

"So you met Honey and Mori," Sayuri said, taking a card from Kazuki's hand. She came over to spend the night with him and Aiko, saying that she was too bored at home. They were currently playing old maid, not really opting for an active game.

"I miss them," Aiko said with a sigh. "Mori is pretty cool. He had the strong-silent type going for him, but man he was so adorable with Honey."

Kazuki shrugged, glaring at Aiko when he picked the joker from her hands. "He said like ten words max the whole time we were out," Kazuki said. Later that day he went out with Honey, Mori, and the twins. Honey wanted to try out a new dessert cafe, and Kazuki was not going to be the one to refuse sweets. The two had bonded over the mutual love for anything sugary, but a bit of conflict appeared when discussing whether chocolate or strawberry was the best. Honey spoke about Reiko, a girl he'd been seeing for a bit.

"That was part of his charm," Aiko defended, shrugging a shoulder and sending a wink towards Kazuki. "Also, I didn't want to say it when we were with him, but do you guys think that Reiji will be able to keep his lips closed about Kazuki?"

The trio exchanged looks, as if discussing their thoughts nonverbally. The thought had passed all of their minds at one point, and it was in their best interest to talk about it.

"I have faith in him," Kazuki said with a smile as he paired the card he took from Aiko with his own, throwing it into the pile. "I talked with him and he seemed like he could get the mindset." He then let out a groan. "But the next time he calls me Shigure..."

"Old habits die hard," Sayuri said. "The worse that happens is that he narrates your life story as he proclaims his love. If it comes to that I can always kill him and do away with the body."

The siblings looked at Sayuri. Kazuki with an 'are you serious' look and Aiko with a 'what the heck' one.

"What?" the blonde said. "We can always hide it in a cello case, those things are huge. But in all seriousness, I think that Reiji will leak, he's just too careless."

Kazuki leaned over and grabbed a cookie from the plate beside him. "I just want to say that Reiji has always been a wild card, dealing with him is tricky. He thinks what he knows is the best course of action and is unknowingly stubborn. I hate to play my cards like this-"

"Bad pun."

"-but if he likes me as much as he says he does, he won't say anything. It wouldn't hurt me that much if someone like Tamaki or Kaoru found out about my past," Kazuki said, letting the words slip from his mind without thinking.

"It will hurt us,"Aiko said with an unusually serious look. Her expression was void of emotion and she looked like she was going to give someone a stern scolding. "The Rens, Miyus, and Hiros could all get in trouble, Kazuki. We played some sort of part in human trafficking, which we all know is illegal, yet none of us have reported it. The Rens sold you, the Miyus bought you and my dad bought you from them and disguised it as adoption and even that was covered up. Also, the Miyus have ties to the yakuza, and no one wants to be on their bad side. Not only that, but Reiji's family, the Ioris have a sort of tie to each of those families, so even though they have no part in any of that, they could still get in trouble. Same with Sayuri's family, she knows two of the three families, so even the Mushimas could get mixed in it all and Sayuri is the only one that actually knows about you." Aiko looked up and gave Kazuki a soft smile. "I love you, Kazuki, but there is no way the word could be let out and not get people in trouble, so the best thing to do is to keep things among the people who know about it and speak about it as little as possible." She took a card from his hand. "Because once things are out," she threw in her last two cards and gave him a pitied look, "they're out there."

The room was left in silence, allowing Aiko's words to hang in the air, letting it heavily coat the room in the sad reality. The reality of the upper class. The scandals and stories created from it, spreading rumors and starting gossip. And gossip getting the certain ears is all it takes to bring down a business, ruin a reputation, and change lives.

Aiko sighed like she did something wrong. "I'm sorry, Kazu-chan, I say it like you are a burden," she said, grabbing his hand. "My dad knew that you were special the day you two met. It took him some time to figure out your circumstance, but he was so willing to help you. Besides, I did a lot of pleading on my part to get you here," she said with a smile. "Because I, no, _we_ wanted you to be part of this family. You needed it, and we were so willing to give it to you. Paying some money to 'compensating for their loss' and signing a few nondisclosure agreements was a no brainer exchange for being able to have you with us. Even during those days when you used to call me Lady Aiko, I felt like you were worth so much more, and I am so happy that you are out of the place and in here." She squeezed his hand and said, "And now I can beat your butt at old maid and steal your cookies."

"I have to agree with the cookie thing," Sayuri said, leaning over and taking a cookie along with a card from Kazuki. "And what do you know," she threw in her cards as well, "you _are_ the universal loser at old maid."

Kazuki scoffed at the girls, rolling his eyes with a smile. "I will beat you two next round."

"Yeah right," Sayuri said. "Try telling Kaoru you like him, I think that would be easier."

"Oh, now that's just rude," Kazuki said with a smile, feigning hurt. "We are good right now, I think that it can stay this way for a bit." Thinking of Kaoru, it made Kazuki recall how it felt like he was looking at him a lot more when they went out. He could feel Kaoru's eyes on him and Kazuki didn't know whether it was a good or bad thing. Every time their hands touched or shoulders hit one another, Kaoru seemed to stiffen or give Kazuki a slightly bewildered look. Kazuki wasn't sure of it yet, but he was going to get down to it. Maybe things weren't as good as he thought.

* * *

Kazuki found that there were a lot of flaws in the Ouran Academy's system. Not that all the libraries were a common chatting area or that students had access to each other's files, they were all wrong on their own. It was the fact that every day since the beginning of school, Kazuki and Sayuri were able to skip their PE class without anyone noticing. Also, the attendance was so botched that even Haruhi got out of the class also. So every day when people were working out, Kazuki and Sayuri would stay in one of the many empty classrooms and spend their time there. Sayuri hated any type of physical exercise with a passion and Kazuki said he could do without the class.

"Did you know that the club is going on a beach trip at the end of the month?" Kazuki said as he played a puzzle game on his phone. It was one of those games where you had to leave the room by completing a series of task no practical human could think of.

"Serious?" Sayuri said, brushing her blond her from her face. She was laying on Kazuki's lap, resting for a bit before she had to go to her next class.

"Yeah, I didn't even know, but apparently I was at the meeting."

Sayuri scoffed at her friend. "Probably daydreaming. Hey, your dad told me that you were considering join chorus, what happened to that?"

A sigh left Kazuki lips as he played with Sayuri's hair. "I already joined the host club, so I filled the one club requirement for the school, no need to add another."

"But seriously, when was the last time you sang? It is disgusting how lovely your voice is." She looked him in the eyes with a smile. "You know you want to."

"Stop it," Kazuki said with a laugh, placing his hand over her eyes. "I do often enough, I know Qin likes it."

Sayuri smiled, placing her hand over Kazuki's to remove it. "Please, give the rabbit a private concert over your best friend."

"The rabbit doesn't give commentary," Kazuki said smugly.

"So you're saying you like the furball more than me?"

"Like I could," he said, patting her head. "Unlike Qin, I think I will forever be stuck with you, but I wouldn't say it's a bad thing."

"Do you know what is a bad thing?" Sayuri said with a mischievous look.

"The fact that we are skipping class."

"That and, well, it isn't actually bad, but the fact that people believe that when you go to sleep that you lose your soul and that you are really dead."

Kazuki raised his brow. "And how is that bad?"

Sayuri rose and gave him a very serious look. "That means I am dying several times a day and I have yet to have a funeral."

Kazuki let out a loud laugh that echoed off the walls of the room. "What the heck, Sayuri," he said through laughs. "That was so random. Why would you even be thinking of that?"

She gave a shrug but smiled along. "For my short story assignment for literature club I am making a story of a girl who every time she goes to sleep, she ends up being teleported to another universe, one of those places being the fiery depth of hell itself."

"Will you be down there?"

"Well of course," she said, sending him a wink. "I have a kingdom to rule. Although I don't want the queen of hell to be Sayuri, my name is not suited for that role. I'm thinking more of a Rika."

"If you want a name for someone suffering down there, name her Yumi."

Sayuri made a hissing sound like she was burned. "Dude, that is kind of harsh."

"You think?"

"Yeah, god, passive aggressive much," she said, punching his shoulder softly.

"But you're just the aggressive one," he said with a shrug. Kazuki let out a sigh and leaned against the seat. "You think she thinks about me?"

"Your mom?" Sayuri said in an incredulous tone.

Kazuki gave her a nod, looking up at the ceiling.

"I'm not sure, honestly. She ran out on the family when you were like, what, ten?"

"Nine."

"I think she does. She loved you a lot, I'm not sure why she left. Now your grandparents, on the other hand, they are a different matter.""Did you think of me when I disappeared?" Kazuki asked. Never had he asked Sayuri if she missed her, it was implied but she never specifically said if she did or didn't.

Sayuri sighed and sat shoulder to shoulder with him. She looked up at the ceiling also, neither one of them making eye contact. "Of course I did. Remember what I say you're like?"

Kazuki scoffed with a smile. "I'm the sun."

"Yup. Sometimes you don't even notice when it's gone, it's sudden. But you always look back on the sunny days, when the sun was up and around."

Kazuki looked over at her and sucked his teeth. "Are you trying to make my existence poetic?"

"Of course, everyone should try and be a bit poetic in life. Besides, it makes me sound smarter."

The chimes sounded throughout the school, telling the students and teachers that class was over. Kazuki stood up from where he was sitting and took Sayuri's hand to pull her up. "Well, it is time for the two of us to go, my darling."

Sayuri gave a smile and winked at her friend. "Let us go, hosting is going to start soon and you should be there."

"You seem to care more about my life than your own."

"What can I say, yours is more interesting to put simply. Also, give me the details about the trip you guys are going on, I may want to go if Aiko is."

"If you want. It'll be a lot more fun if you came, I promise you that."

The two parted ways, each going to their own club for the afternoon. Kazuki felt like he saw less of Sayuri ever since they started attending their clubs, but the time they spent during PE was always a highlight of his day. Kazuki yawned and stretched his arms, he was unusually tired and hoped nothing too big would happen to keep him from getting home on time.

* * *

Kaoru sat with Hikaru as the girls came over for them to entertain. Like always, Kaoru chatted with them and played up the taboo brotherly love act with his twin, it being the norm for him. In the back of his mind, he kept thinking of how he was going to tell Kazuki how he was feeling. He had decided in the morning that he was going to tell Kazuki and see what happens.

"Kaoru," a voice said, making Kaoru focus on what was going on. He looked over to see Kyoya standing over him. "You have a single request."

Kaoru gave the elder student a raised brow, not knowing what he was talking about.

"A client asked to see you on your own, not with Hikaru."

Kaoru looked over at his brother, in which Hikaru just shrugged his shoulder. "If that is what they want, just go."

"Okay," Kaoru said, getting out of his seat. He followed Kyoya and was taken aback when he saw who was waiting for him. Sitting on the couch was Reiji, who looked over at Kaoru and waved his hand with a big smile. Kaoru didn't really want to speak to him, to be honest. Because of their first impression, Kaoru couldn't say he liked him.

"Hey, Kaoru," Reiji said.

"Hello, Reiji," he replied, sitting down with him. "I didn't expect to you to set up an appointment."

"What can I say, I am a surprising person. Mind if I ask you a very personal question?"

Kaoru was astonished on how open Reiji was. Yeah, he seemed like the kind of person that couldn't hold his tongue, but he definitely had little tact. "Sure."

"Okay, here it comes, how was your day?" He said it with a hum in his words, as if flirting with Kaoru.

"Good enough so far." Kaoru wasn't even going to figure out what the other was trying to get it.

"That's nice to hear. I was doing well and I thought when I was in class, hey, I have yet to even speak one on one with any of the hosts besides Haruhi and Kazuki. I figured I should, seeing as Kazuki is going to be here often and I'll like to hang with him from time to time."

"What exactly do you like so much about Kazuki?" Kaoru asked bluntly.

Reiji looked at him with a confused look, as of the question was one of the most nonsensical things he had ever heard. "Have you not met Kazuki? He is caring, funny, handsome, cool, sympathetic, brave, good looking, loyal, sweet, and drop-dead gorgeous. The question is what is there to not like about him?" A large smile grew on Reiji face as he listed the attributes of Kazuki, and for some reason, it made Kaoru a bit jealous that the other had spent so much time with Kazuki.

"Also, he as been there for me when I needed him the most," Reiji much more sincerely. "Like, every instance I needed him, he just ended up being there." The boy looked Kaoru in the eyes.

"What do you mean."

"Kaoru, what can you say about my eyes?"

Kaoru studied them a bit uncomfortably, mainly because the other was staring so intensely at him. At first, Kaoru was just going to say they were a bit larger than normal, but then he realized that the right one was almost a greyish-green while the other was a bright jade. "They are heterochromatic?"

"Close," Reiji said, finally blinking. "The thing is, I'm completely blind in my right one." He placed his hand over the left one and gave Kaoru a smile. "I can't see a thing right now, but I know that you are giving me a look of pity and shock at the moment."

Kaoru was lost for words. Reiji was being so upbeat about it, as if the disability was nothing major. "I'm sorry about your eye," Kaoru finally said.

Reiji moved his hands and shrugged his shoulders. "I have lived with it my whole life. I'm used to it now, but when I was younger, it was much harder. The other kids would pick on me, call me one eye, and hold me down and cover my good eye. It wasn't a very fun experience to say the very least. And one day, six your old me was just going through the normal bullying when this kid I had never seen came charging up to my bully and punched him square in the nose. You have no idea how happy I was in that moment. The thing was, we were at a garden party away from the adults, so this random child took my hand a literally _dragged_ me away. And then we stopped behind this ginormous tree. And he said I had to climb it now or we were both dead." Reiji let out a laugh. "I was so nervous and shaken yet I climbed it so fast. He followed a second later and we were both in the tree, legs wrapped around the branch so we wouldn't fall, hands on our heaving chest, trying our best to catch our breaths. And then this guy started laughing, like I told a joke. Or maybe the whole situation was just a joke. Kids whose parents were rich enough to buy them actually anything acting like a group of street kids running away from danger. Our clothes were ruined and our hair that our mothers or maids did were a complete mess, and it seemed so funny at the moment. And I just looked at him with my one good eye and all I could ask was 'why'. He looked at me and said 'I just really felt like hitting someone today and he seemed like a good target and he was being mean.' He shrugged and said, 'two in one, I guess.' And I promise you that I had never seen a kid like him, and he was only seven then."

Reiji looked over at Kaoru, who was listening intensely to the story. "We both know who that boy was."

Kaoru nodded. It sounded like something Kazuki would do. "Kazuki never told us how you guys met."

"It figures. I know Kazuki doesn't like talking about himself a lot, much less his past, but he will soon. I can tell that Kazuki thinks you're special, so just give him some time. How about this, I'll tell you a secret that I have kept from Kazuki, and once he tells you one of his, then you can tell him mine."

"Okay."

He put up a single finger, pointing it to his eye, "I am also losing sight in my good eye too and by the end of high school I will be completely blind."

Kaoru looked at Reiji was a mix of shock and sadness. He was lost for words, so all he could manage was, "That's horrible."

Reiji nodded, acting as if the situation wasn't big. "No one likes to not be told a secret, no one likes holding them to himself, and once you're told you may wish you weren't." Reiji sighed. "That is why I try to be open, secrets hurt too many people, but that is how the world runs."

"And you trust me with yours?" Kaoru asked.

The other just shrugged. "I don't care, honestly I don't. I keep it to save people from pitying me. Besides, you won't benefit from telling people, so why would you?"

Kaoru cocked his head slightly, nodding it in agreement. "You are more self-aware than you let on."

"I keep up the appearance I want others to see, just like the rest of us." Reiji stood up with a smile on his face. "It is nice talking with you Kaoru, I feel like I come to know you more. Maybe I can figure out why Kazuki looks at you the way that he does."

"And how's that?" Kaoru asked, genuinely curious on what Reiji was talking about.

Reiji sucked his tongue out of his smiling lips. "That's for me to know." With that, he left the room, waving to Aiko and Kazuki who were sitting across the room. The club was about to close, so there were fewer people.

And Kaoru's chance to talk with Kazuki. Kaoru tried to shove what Reiji said to the back of his mind, not wanting to think of it at the time. He took one final deep breath before getting out of his seat and walking over to Kazuki. Tapping Kazuki on the shoulder, Kaoru said, "Kazuki."

Kazuki turned around and gave Kaoru a small smile. "Hey, what's up?"

Kazuki smile seemed to make Kaoru feel a bit light. The other may be able to tell him and his brother apart, but Kaoru seemed to be able to tell whether Kazuki was giving a genuine smile and not. And it sounded a bit arrogant, but he felt like Kazuki always gave him a real one. "Um, can we talk...in private?"

Kazuki gave him a bit of a confused looked, but nodded and excused himself from the table where he was talking with Aiko. Kazuki gives his sister a look and she shooed him away, saying that she will go wait outside. The guys walk to the other side of the large room and into the small room that comes from the main one.

"Did something happen?" Kazuki asked when Kaoru closed the door behind him.

"No, um, well, yes, but nothing bad, but, uh.." Kaoru stutters, already failing to keep his cool. He closed his eyes for a second and then opens them again, calming himself. "I need to tell you something important."

"Okay," Kazuki said, dragging out the word. By the demeanor, Kaoru had, Kazuki knew that this was serious. "Does it have to do with that?"

They both knew what Kazuki was referring to, and Kaoru simply nodded his head. He didn't like how Kazuki could see straight through the problem, it made him feel like he couldn't say it. Kazuki gave him a sad look, making Kaoru feel very small. Why must he look at me like that? It makes me feel like he's looking at me like I'm a sad child.

"Do I still bother you?" Kazuki asked, sounding as if he was hesitant to ask the question.

"Wha?" Kaoru asked him, shocked by the question.

"Thought so," Kazuki said with a sigh, running his fingers through his hair in a confused and irritated way. But not like he was angry with Kaoru, but with himself. "Ugh, Kaoru, I don't know what to do. I said I was sorry for what happened that day, I really am. If you still feel uncomfortable around me, I get it. I tried to make things fun between us two, thinking it would help our situation, but I guess it hasn't. I won't come next to you, I'll give you your space. I would hate for you to feel uneasy because I'm around you. Ser-"

"What, no," Kaoru said, shaking his head and taking a step towards Kazuki. "I do not feel that way in the slightest." He couldn't get why Kazuki was thinking that it was the exact opposite of how he was feeling. "I don't want you to avoid me." Kaoru got closer and put a hand on Kazuki's. "I would not be able to stand you avoiding me, Kazuki." Kaoru didn't know what he was doing, he felt dumb and clueless but he swore by Tamaki's love for Haruhi, he was going to let these words come out. "Because if you leave me alone I will just feel so weird because I love your touch. Having your arms around me or when you held me in yours, it felt so good and I enjoyed it so much, even if it was for seconds. And after that day, after it, I just wanted to feel you more or to have you t-touch me again. And it is so weird and wrong sounding because I never felt this, this heat before and I don't know what to do and it makes me feel so lost." He squeezed Kazuki's hand harder. "And I have thought of things I shouldn't have thought of and I know it is wrong for me to think of things about my friend, about you, but I don't know what to do about this feeling and it's just wont go away." By the end, Kaoru was squeezing Kazuki's hand and had his hands shut tightly. He was not prepared for what Kazuki was going to say, but he needed him to say something. Did Kazuki think he was disgusting? Needy? Pathetic? Would he laugh at his face or would he think that Kaoru was a freak?

"Hmm, okay," Kazuki said softly. Kaoru opened his eyes and looked at Kazuki. Kazuki looked collected and calm, which was so not what Kaoru thought would be the response.

"You have some lust, we all do," Kazuki said. "A few desires that have appeared out of the blue." Kazuki raises his other hand and ran his fingers through Kaoru's hair by his ear. Embarrassingly, the action made Kaoru shuttle, his eyes fluttering close for a second. It made him release his hold on Kazuki's, which Kazuki snaked around Kaoru's waist, pulling him closer. Their fronts were touching and Kazuki pushed Kaoru's forehead against his own softly. Their eyes looked into each other and Kazuki smirked at how bewildered Kaoru's brown ones looked.

"If it's what you need, then I will help you satisfy your desires."

* * *

It is happening people XD

I'm making an announcement. I need someone to beta my work to catch all of my stupid mistakes and to make sure no random slip ups messes with the enjoyment of the story. You are willing to, please send me a PM

Thank you all for reading, please review and share. See yolovelies my lovlies.


	11. Chapter 11

The Ren family was an up and coming higher class family. Working in the import and shipping field, they began not too long ago and made their way upwards, working as hard as they could. Their work paid off and in a few years, they were scaling the social class ladder. Most saw them as determined people that had yet to back down when challenged, but there were many secrets the public didn't know.

The head of the family, Riyoma was married to a lady named Tohru. They were married for the benefit of their families, as was common, but they had no romantic interest in one another. This lead to them having a disconnection between each other, only playing the loving husband and wife pair when it helped their image. They did have a daughter, Yumi. She was sweet and caring for everyone and was everything they wanted her to be. Because of the expectations that she was faced with by being an only child, she felt pressured more often than not; she didn't let it break her, though. She did have a few problems. She was born with a heart problem, making physical activities near impossible for her. Also, as she got older, her father noticed she was showing signs of depression, which she was diagnosed with some time later. As time went by, Yumi became more isolated, keeping to herself, her family, and the house staff. She rarely left the house and tried her best to avoid parties and dinners. It did hurt Yumi that her parents weren't happy together, they didn't really give her a good model to base her few relationships on.

One day Yumi was in one of her slump days and didn't have anyone to talk with. She had them often, being caused by her depression. She was about fifteen and a half when the life changing moment happened. The rain was coming down softly outside, making it so she couldn't go outside and enjoy the garden like she usually did. But the late autumn rain brought something new with it. A knock came at her door and she reluctantly told the person to walk in. He was tall, about nineteen years old, with short, pale brown hair. He was dressed in a suit that the male house servants wore. Yumi didn't recognize him, and she sure would have because his eyes were an unmistakable bright turquoise. They seemed to shimmer, stealing her attention for a moment.

Yumi sat up from where she was lying on her bed. "Who are you?" she asked him.

"Excuse me, madam," he said with a bow. "My name is Fujiwara, I am the newly appointed butler."

"Butler..." Yumi dragged out, looking at him up and down. "Is there something you need?"

Fujiwara gave her a weak smile, but it was a kind one. It seemed so soft and gentle, making Yumi weak in a way. "Sorry, madam, I was concerned about you. Your father said that you had been in you room for days and I had yet to meet you." By the way that he said it, it didn't seem like Yumi's dad sent him. His words had a sort of sincerity to them like he was truly curious about the girl who locked herself in the room. She gave Fujiwara another glance, tucking her black hair behind her ear. For some reason, he didn't bother her, not at all. His voice was kind like he wanted to be in that room as if he wanted to be with her. Maybe she was just making it up in her head or the pills her dad had her take to make her less sad were making her less practical.

"I'm sorry if I am troubling you," Fujiwara said. "I will be taking my leave now."

With that, he closed the door, leaving Yumi by herself. For some reason, she didn't want him to leave. Something about him captured her, and she couldn't place why. Maybe it was his shy smile or the concern she could hear in his voice. And his eyes, they were so beautiful, like the color of a precious stone. When he left, she realized how much she didn't want to be alone.

The next day, Yumi left her room for the first time in a week in order to search for the butler, this Fujiwara guy. She didn't want to call for him, that would have been too obvious and could raise questions, so she did a little manhunt and found him making the bed in the guest bedroom.

"Fujiwara," Yumi said firmly to the servant. He turned around from what he was doing and Yumi could have sworn that his facial expression brightened.

"Good afternoon, madam, how are you?" he asked.

"Good," she said, meandering into the room. She felt a bit awkward just standing there, intruding on his work. She didn't even talk to the kids her age, so talking to an older and attractive guy made her a bit nervous. She sat on an ottoman that was in the room. "Fujiwara, tell me about yourself."

"Pardon me?"

"Tell me about yourself," she said, straightening her back. She had to know about him. Maybe the mystery of her sudden interest in him was in the mystery of him. "I want to know about you."

He smiled and smoothed the sheet on the bed before sitting on the bench in front of the bed. "Of course." And so Fujiwara did. He told Yumi about his life, about the things that he had done. Yumi listened in awe when he told her about his trips to America and Europe. About the life he had with his parents before their sudden passing and him having to work to pay off the debt they had. She told him about her depression and health problems and why she didn't leave the manor often. Fujiwara said it was a shame, but as they grew closer, he promised to take her anywhere she would like to go. The talks in the guest room turned into walks in the garden, late night snacks in the kitchen, and, eventually, meetings in her room. The weeks morphed into months, and the two became much closer than the others thought a daughter of an upper-class man and butler should be. But no one knew about the meets or had any reasons to suspect it.

Until the day Yumi woke up the sickest she had ever been in her life.

She was nauseous, throwing up, and had problems no one could find why. Yumi's dad was able to get her a doctor to inspect her. It took the doctor less than ten minutes to find the problem.

"Sir," the doctor said, hesitation in her voice. "Your daughter is pregnant."

Fujiwara was instantly fired with no remorse. Yumi didn't know the details but knew it was neither pleasant nor done in the usual manner. Her father despised her and refused to speak to her more than was necessary. The two intermixed events became the source of a long depression Yumi went through, leaving her in a horrible condition both mentally and physically. Riyoma was more concerned on about the reputation of his name than his daughter, though. He going to make sure not a word was going to be said to learn of this secret. He called his wife and informed her of the situation. Riyoma wanted to get rid of the unborn child, hating the thought of it, but his wife wouldn't allow it. She flew back from where she was with her mother for a break and came to talk with her daughter. Yumi was embarrassed and felt like a disgrace, but her mother reassured her that it will all be okay. She was going to have the child but under a few conditions. Yumi had to tell no one that she was having the child. The child should go it's life thinking Yumi was its sister and Riyoma and Tohru were its parents. And, most importantly, Yumi could never contact Fujiwara again.

Months later, Tohru was holding a sleeping baby in her arms, smiling down at her grandchild. He had a patch of black hair growing and a little beauty mark near his eye. He looked calm and peaceful, born into the world on a rainy day.

"May I see him?" Yumi said, reaching out her hands. Her mother passed her the child, allowing Yumi to cradle him in her arms. The baby stirred, opening his eyes with a yawn. Yumi gasped and tears swelled in her eyes as she looked into the turquoise eyes that caught her more than a year ago. Tohru was concerned for a moment that Yumi was going to reject the child when she saw her daughter shaking her head. Instead, Yumi held the baby closer, crying into the blanket. Yumi wasn't even eighteen, yet she had been through so much. From depression, her parents inability to love one another, her loneliness, being neglected by her dad who now hated her, and having her only true friend and lover be taken away from her. But seeing this baby, _her_ baby, made everything seem okay.

"He's mine, Mom, he's mine," she said through tears, a smile forming on her lips. "He won't know it, but he's mine." She looked at her mother through tear filled eyes. "May I name him, please?"

Her mother kissed her on her forehead. "Of course."

"Shigure," Yumi said, calming herself as she let the baby wrap its miniature fingers around her's. "I want to name him Shigure."

* * *

"I'm just saying that you shouldn't try to take away someone's cupcake," Kazuki said with a shrug. "It wouldn't have been my fault if Suoh's son had to be rushed to the hospital because someone stabbed him with a fork."

"Kazuki, be a lad and don't make Suoh mad at me," Ryuu said with a chuckle.

Kazuki gave him a very serious look. "He tried to take my cupcake."

"And there's plenty more."

The student gave a sigh and sat back in his seat. "I suppose." Kazuki was sitting with his father in his study, watching as the older man shuffled through papers and placed them into piles, into the important bin or trash. Kazuki felt like he hadn't seen the elder man in ages and thought it would be fun to sit down and just chat. Ryuu was always up for a talk, so it was okay for Kazuki to intrude at times.

"It's nice to see you like this, son," Ryuu said, placing down his papers with a smile.

"Like what?" Kazuki asked as he sipped his tea.

The wrinkles in the man's face seem to become more noticeable, his green eyes filled with happiness. "You seem so taken with this host club. The people there seem to be bringing you out."

Kazuki raised a brow. "Out of what exactly?"

Ryuu just nodded his head solemnly, knowing something that Kazuki didn't. "If you took a single brick from a wall, would you notice it?"

"Uh, I guess not." Kazuki wasn't really following, but he went on to amuse the man.

"So what if you took one down every day, little by little."

"When did we move to walls?" Ryuu just laughed again, taking off his glasses and leaning back in his chair. Kazuki didn't think he would ever be able to get this guy fully, but it was fine. He didn't need to understand every detail about the elder man, he just knew that he was forever in his debt. A kind of debt that could not be repaid in money or favors, but Kazuki was going to figure out one day.

"I heard that you are going to be in the spring event this year," Ryuu said.

"How do you know about that?"

"Our lovely Aiko likes to keep me updated on the latest Ouran Academy news. Am I going to see you in a yukata?"

Kazuki let out a playful groan. "I don't like those, to be honest. There is so much loose fabric, I feel like I am going to drown."

"It isn't that bad," Ryuu said, rubbing his beard. "It's been awhile since I had last worn one. Aiko looks beautiful every year when she goes to the shrine for new years, just like her mother." His eyes seemed to look off into the distance for a moment, recalling memories of his late wife.

Kazuki nodded, not knowing what to say. He had never met the woman because he was taken in after her death. Aiko told him stories of her mother sometime or maybe just a passing comment. When Kazuki was welcomed into the family, Aiko gave him the run down of the story of her mother so he knew some about her. Sometimes he felt bad for having to pretend to mourn for a woman he had never met, so he had avoided the topic as much as he could. Not only that, but it just made him think of his own mother, which always seemed to make him feel down.

"Kazuki?" a voice said, snapping Kazuki from his thoughts. He looked up to see Ryuu giving him a small smile. "I think it may be time to call it a night, you seem tired."

Kazuki nodded silently, standing from his seat. The student went over to the man and gave him a hug. Ryuu, shocked by the action, patted Kazuki on the back as he accepted it.

"Are you okay, son?" Ryuu asked when Kazuki pulled away.

"Like I'm ever," Kazuki said with a laugh. "It's just, I was thinking of my life not too long ago, and I'm really happy I'm here."

Ryuu smiled and gave Kazuki a single nod of his head. "So am I."

The two said their farewells and Kazuki left to his room. He opened his bedroom door to Qin sitting by the door, pink nose sniffing the air as it twitched.

"Hey, little guy." Kazuki smiled and picked up the animal, rubbing his race into the black and white fur. Even the rabbit knew the familiar gesture and poked its head by Kazuki's ear, pressing its wet nose on Kazuki.

"I swear, you're too adorable," Kazuki told the rabbit, raising it up in the air as it just moved its nose. For the average age of a rabbit, Qin was still quite young, just about a year old. No one in the house had a pet at any point, so they didn't understand why Kazuki was so attached to the bunny, but he seemed to give it a lot of time. He had found Qin in a field when he was out running and there were no other animals in sight. The rabbit could have only been a few weeks old, so Kazuki picked it up and took it home. Kazuki showed it a lot of care and seemed attached to it. Ryuu thought that Kazuki had a sort of attachment issue after one time when they took Qin to the vet without Kazuki knowing. The boy tore the house up looking for the rabbit, seeming to panic at the thought of losing the rabbit. He didn't want to speak with anyone that wasn't going to help him find his pet.

Since then, Kazuki hadn't gone very long without seeing the rabbit. Some people thought it was strange, but Kazuki was far too used to the feeling of having someone in his life only to have them disappear, and it seemed to have scared him in a way.

Kazuki sighed and carried Qin over to him the bed, laying down and placing the animal on his chest.

"I'm going to be out of town soon," he told the rabbit. "I'm going to go to Miyakojima for a trip for the host club. I thought that Okinawa would be cool, but apparently, they went there last year and they like variety." He rubbed the rabbit's head and gazed up at the ceiling. "Maybe I could convince them you are a service animal, the money grubbing bastard was strict about no pets. Then again, I don't want to close you in an unfamiliar room all day, that would be rude of me."

Of course, the rabbit gave no response, which Kazuki did not expect.

"Life is changing a lot, I guess. Like the other day I, oh god," Kazuki said, feeling a smile creep onto his face. "I kissed Kaoru," he whispered it as if someone else in the empty room could have heard. He squirmed a bit with excitement at the thought, feeling like a schoolgirl with her first crush. "There was more than just the kiss, but still, I can't believe I did it."

"Kazuki!" a voice shouted as the bedroom door flew open. Qin was startled by the loud noise and jumped off of Kazuki as the boy sat up. Aiko came rushing into the room and jumped on his bed.

"What happened?" Kazuki asked with a confused look.

"I'll tell you exactly what happened!" she said loudly, her eyes wide. "Japan made Yuri on Ice and Korea saw it and thought they could do better, and birthed this monstrosity." She shoved her phone in her brother's face.

Kazuki backed up a bit to see what she was talking about. "Um, Levi with bags?"

"No," Aiko said with a roll of her eyes. "I present you the psychological mind fuck that is _Killing Stalking_."

* * *

"What is even considered a sufficient amount of sleep at this point?" Kazuki groans as he laid his head on the table in the cafeteria.

"Closing one's eyes for at least an hour," Aiko said with a yawn, poking at her food. She and Kazuki were up late that night bench reading the new manhwa. They freaked at nearly every panel and had total breakdowns at times.

Sayuri scoffed at the two. "We all know that ten hours of sleep is the bare minimum for a good rest."

"Coming from the girl who stays up past two every night," Kazuki said with an incredulous look. His friend shrugged.

"I have my priorities, I go from sleep is for the weak to sleeping for a week, so you know I can be either."

"I would have loved to sleep, but someone," Kazuki glared at Aiko, "wanted to show me the dark side of yaoi and our neighboring country of Korea."

Aiko let out a dry laugh. "You are the one who decided to read it."

"You shoved it into my face!"

"But I can't make you read!"

"I wanted to sleep!"

"Change the subject," Aiko said with exasperation. "Why'd the chicken cross the road?"

"I don't know, you shouldn't know either, give the bird some privacy and leave him the fuck alone," Kazuki snapped. This was annoying, all he wanted to do was sleep. He missed his bed and wished he could just go home and crawl under the sheets.

"I heard it was a way of talking about suicide," Sayuri said she ate a chip. "The person commits suicide, meaning they go to the other side. They are referred to as a chicken because of they were too cowardly to keep living."

The siblings just stared at Sayuri, neither of them saying a word. Thankfully they didn't have to because Haruhi came around to the group.

"Hey, Kazuki-kun," she said with a smile. "Aiko-senpai, Sayuri-san," she greeted with a nod respectively. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Suicide."

"Sleep."

"Stalkers."

Haruhi gave them a weird look before smiling. "You guys are such a funny group. Kazuki, Kyoya-senpai told me if I see you, to tell you that you need to get dressed in the club room and then come down to the garden afterward."

"Got it, thanks," Kazuki said as Haruhi smiled and went on her way. Kazuki then turned to the other two girls with a sigh. "Duty calls, ladies." Although the event wasn't until after school, he had other work he had to get to so he will be free without making his grades suffer.

"Get out of here," Aiko said, giving Kazuki a playful shove. "We will be there later to see you, so be awake."

"Tell me when so I can go to the bathroom for half an hour."

"I'll take your place then," Sayuri said. "Let's see how many girls I can attract."

"Get a boyfriend first," Kazuki said.

"One, it could be a girlfriend, I don't discriminate, two, after you hook up with Kaoru."

Kazuki scoffed, giving his friend a smirk. "If only you knew."

"What?" Sayuri asked, the easiness seemingly disappearing from her face as Kazuki walked away. "Hey, Kazuki, what do you mean? Kazuki? Kazuki!?"

* * *

Kaoru walked back and forth as he thought things over. He was trying to calm his nerves, but it just wasn't working. Acting this panicked and anxious, it just wasn't like him. Once again, just another way that Kazuki made Kaoru act less like himself. It was Kazuki's fault that he was like this, to begin with. Kaoru hadn't talked to him since...that and Karou had the whole weekend to think about it. They saw each other in class, but Kazuki didn't give him more than a smile and wave. Kaoru knew Kazuki was acting casual about the whole incident, but it didn't help Kaoru that much. He just couldn't get over the fact the Kazuki had seen him in such a vulnerable and needy state, it was embarrassing!

"Kaoru," a voice said, causing him to jump when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Kaoru turned around to see Hikaru giving him a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Kaoru said with a nod, giving a very unconvincing smile.

Hikaru just raised a brow. "You have been acting weird for a while now," he said crossing his arms. "I'm not trying to point fingers, but does this has to do with Kazuki?"

The assumption shocked Kaoru but he quickly covered his surprise. "Why would you say that?"

"Ever since he joined the host club, you have been acting weird." Hikaru narrowed his eyes to show his seriousness and concern on the matter. "Is he bothering you or something?"

"No, of course not. What makes you think that?"

Hikaru glanced around, looking at the empty host club room. The twins had gone up to get their yukatas for the event that was being hosted soon. They were already dressed in their matching blue striped yukatas.

"I just feel like there is something strange about him. Like he is hiding stuff or something."

Kaoru knew his brother was one to get jealous easily and wasn't sure if Hikaru was saying that because of his own personal paranoia. Reiji had said that Kazuki was a conservative person, but for Hikaru to see it, it just felt like Hikaru was being too skeptical.

"Well, we all have our own baggage," Kaoru said. "Come on, Hikaru, we should be getting to the garden." Kaoru didn't want to discuss the topic, feeling like it was wrong to talk about Kazuki like that.

"Kaoru," Hikaru said, grabbing his twin's wrist. He looked his brother in his eyes, the same as his own. "If Kazuki really is doing something in anyway, you have to tell me. I don't need someone messing with you."

Kaoru nodded and gave his brother a sympathetic smile. "Yeah, okay."

By the time that the twin got to the garden, the rest of the host were already there excluding Kazuki. The event was going to start soon and last minute touches were being done. Of course, Kyoya was overseeing everything, notebook in hand. The elder faced the two and greeted them.

"By the way," Kyoya said. "Have either of you seen Kazuki?" The twins shook their heads, causing Kyoya to let out an exasperated sigh. "I have a feeling he is doing this just to mess with me now."

Just as Kyoya said that Kaoru saw Kazuki walk out from the building. His yukata was a soft green with black and white patterns on it. His hair was back in a ponytail held together with a matching green ribbon. He looked around a bit before making eye contact and smiling at Kaoru as he approached the group.

"Am I late?" Kazuki asked once he was close enough, his question mostly towards Kyoya.

"Not quite," he said, pushing up his glasses. "But please try to get here a bit earlier and not at the starting time."

"Sorry, I'm not really good with yukatas," Kazuki said which provoked a raised brow from Kyoya. "We don't really have a need for them in England."

"I can see what you mean," Hikaru said with a teasing laugh. "The left goes _over_ the right."

Kazuki looked down and, indeed, he had the right over the left. "Shoot," he groaned. "I hate this thing."

Kaoru smiled, trying his best to hold in a laugh. "Here, let me help you," Kaoru step closer to Kazuki and help take off the band around him that kept the garment together. Kazuki raised his arms to make it easier on the other. Kaoru handed the fabric to his brother without a word as he opened Kazuki's yukata to switch the layer. He tried his best not blush when he saw Kazuki's bare chest and shorts and quickly layered it correctly.

Kaoru looked up at Kazuki for a second, to which he saw that the other was look down at him.

"Thanks," Kazuki said. Kaoru just nodded, looking away as he finished adjusting the yukata. Being so close with Kazuki only reminded him of what happened the other day.

"If it's what you need, then I will help you satisfy your desires."

The statement made Kaoru's knees feel weak and he couldn't bare it. How did Kazuki have this instant effect on him, like all he needed to say was a single word and Kaoru was melting? He couldn't get his head right. Maybe Kazuki was right, it was just lust. This feeling he had, the desire to be touched and pleasured, it was all because he had yet to have it in his life. All Kaoru could do was look Kazuki in his eyes and give a very small nod. This was what he wanted, well, he thought so.

"Good," Kazuki said before instantly locking his lips with Kaoru's. Kaoru wasn't even given a moment to adjust to the situation. Kazuki was already moving his lips against the others heatedly, pushing Kaoru closer towards him. The feeling was as new as it was thrilling for Kaoru and he let himself be taken away by it. The auburn haired male let a moan out as Kazuki slipped his tongue into the kiss, adding a bit of nuance to the action.

Kaoru pulled away from the kiss first, allowing himself a chance to breathe. It felt like everything was happening so suddenly yet he didn't want to slow down a bit. He gazed up at Kazuki, his brown eyes wide with excitement and lust.

Kazuki mumbled something under his breath that Kaoru didn't quite hear, but he didn't have a chance to ask because Kazuki was already kissing him again. At one point, Kazuki was able to get Kaoru to the wall, pressing the other against it. Kaoru's whole body became heated and he felt like he was going to faint, having his blood pump so hard. He felt a hand on his belt, and suddenly Kaoru became hyper aware of the situation.

"K-Kazuki," Kaoru stuttered through breaths, already beginning to lose himself due to the heated kisses. "The door."

"No one will come in," Kazuki said confidently, as he unbuckled Kaoru's belt while he kissed his neck, causing Kaoru to shudder. It was such a simple action yet the area felt like it was on fire. A burning fire that seemed to consume and Kaoru just wanted more. More of this hot, burning feeling that was radiating throughout him.

"But, but-"

"Shhh," Kazuki hushed, backing up to look at Kaoru. Although Kaoru felt like a mess coming undone already, Kazuki seemed to be perfectly calmed and certain. His eyes were stern and unwavering. "No one will come in."

"How do you know?" Kaoru asked, a bit nervous.

"You have to trust me," Kazuki said in a low voice as he loosened his own tie after taking off Kaoru's. "Do you trust me?"

Kaoru knew the question went deeper than just making sure no one came into the room. Did Kaoru trust Kazuki? After the few weeks, he had really gotten closer to the other, was he able to trust Kazuki with not only his reputation but with his body and needs?

"Yes," Kaoru said, although he wasn't completely sure himself.

Kazuki nodded and kiss him once more by his ear and whispered, "then forget about everything else, and focus on this."

Kaoru felt his shirt being unbuttoned as Kazuki continued to ravish him with heated kisses. He hoped that none of them were too hard to where they left a mark, but they feeling was euphoric and Kaoru began to feel more at ease. Kazuki was able to open the white undershirt and push it to the side along with the blue blazer, exposing Kaoru's chest.

Kaoru's face flushed scarlet when he felt Kazuki's eyes on his bare skin. He was not a shy person when it came to being exposed, but this was not the same as him casual taking off his shirt to change for gym or have his physical exam. This was much more erotic and new, making Kaoru all the more embarrassed. It was different from last time, in the closet where there was barely any light to see, but this time he was completely exposed to Kazuki. Kazuki's ran his fingers from the top of Kaoru's collar bone down across his chest, as the two slid down to the floor.

"Don't be shy, Kaoru," Kazuki said so smoothly his words might as well be laced with silk. "You said you wanted me to touch you, you were quite bold about it, too. I'm just doing what you wanted."

This side of Kazuki was so bold, nothing like Kaoru had seen before. No, he had seen it before, that day in the closet. It's like Kazuki had this sort of controlling demeanor when he was in a sexual situation, which Kaoru didn't mind in the slightest.

Kazuki ran his hand up to Kaoru's nipple and began to mess with it, causing Kaoru to let out a cry like moan. Kaoru felt the electric touch and it seemed to make his whole body jolt. He had never messed with them like that, but man it felt good.

"If you want me to stop, tell me," Kazuki said without looking at Kaoru. "Okay?"

"Mmm-hmm," Kaoru agreed in a hum that sounded more like he was holding in a whine. Kazuki hadn't even touched him down there, yet he could feel himself getting hard. How the hell did Kazuki do this?

Kazuki rolled one of Kaoru's nipples between his fingers, which made Kaoru moan loudly with a mewl.

"I guess they're sensitive," Kazuki said with a smirk. "I'll remember that for next time."

"Ne-Next time?" Kaoru asked with a lust-fogged mind, not sure if he heard Kazuki right. "What do yo-ah!" He cut himself off when he felt Kazuki's hand pull his erection from his pants. Kaoru's erotic cry was consumed by a kiss Kazuki gave him. Kaoru moaned again into the kiss, closing his eyes and thrusting himself into Kazuki's hand involuntarily.

"I'm sorry to have to say this, but you have to stay quiet," Kazuki said in a hushed tone. "It is a shame, you sound so cute. We should do this in a more private area from now on. Hearing you is very pleasant, honestly, the sound makes me just want to eat you up."

"Kazu-ngh-ki, Ka-Ka, ah!" Kaoru tried to speak to the other, but he was just a mess of moans and erratic breathing, squirming in Kazuki's hold. It felt so intense, far better then when he had done it himself. He balled his hands into fists, digging in short nails into his palm. Kazuki's hand was firm around him, and when he sped up, Kaoru thought he was going to lose his mind.

"Hmm?" Kazuki hummed, watching as Kaoru began to fall apart right in front of him. Kazuki would have been lying if he said that Kaoru didn't look complete erotic right then and there. Panting and squirming, a bit of sweat collecting on his brow. And his brown eyes had darkened with desire and looked so far gone, and they weren't even done.

Kazuki have quick pumps of the shaft before slowing down to an agonizing slow pace. When ever he did that, Kaoru would gave a cry in protest, nonverbally begging Kazuki to go faster. Kazuki would do just that, watching as Kaoru fidgeted and thrusted his hips for more friction. Kazuki rubbed his thumb over the tip, allowing it to dip by the slit. Kaoru immediately whines, quick to cover his mouth with his hand.

"Don't do that," Kazuki protested, removing Kaoru's hand from his mouth. "I said be quiet, but not mute. I _want_ to hear you." Kazuki snapped his hand around Kaoru's erection up, making Kaoru whimper as he bit his lip.

Kazuki leaned over, kissing Kaoru on his neck and biting his ear slight, earning a gasp from the trembling boy. "See, it isn't that hard."

"I can't anymore," Kaoru managed to say between his breaths and moans of pleasure. Kazuki got what he was saying, but had no intention of stopping, instead, he sped up his movements as he took something out of his back pocket. He leaned over and latched onto Kaoru's right nipple, sucking and biting on it slightly.

Kaoru shuddered at the contact, feeling overstimulated and pleasured beyond comprehension. Not able to hold back, Kaoru let out a loud, pleasure filled cry as he came undone, thrusting into Kazuki's hand. His orgasm hit him hard. Harder than he had ever done before. His mind seemed like a blur and his whole body buzzed to the point where he thought he would vibrate out of his skin.

When Kaoru came down from his orgasmic high he noticed that Kazuki was already up and tossing something in the trash as he fixed his tie. He seemed so composed, just as he was earlier.

"Wha?" Kaoru mumbled softly, not able to make a proper words.

"Handkerchief," Kazuki said was a small smile. "I tend to carry one around, old habits die hard," he said the last part mostly to himself.

Kaoru just nodded, looking up at the ceiling. It felt like everything just happened to fast, yet he was frozen in time. It was just...amazing.

Kazuki was working on buttoning Kaoru's shirt back up as he said, "Come on, we need to fix you up. I am sure we both have to go now, I think your brother may be looking for you."

_How can you do that and then act like nothing happened within minutes._ "Okay," Kaoru mumbled. They were able to fix up Kaoru's clothes, 'they' being mostly Kazuki because Karu was to slow.

Kazuki stood up and brushed off his clothes. "Can you stand?" Kaoru shook his head, feeling like he still hadn't gotten control of his body. Kazuki held out a hand and pulled up Kaoru, who wobbled a bit before finding himself standing straight.

"You okay?" Kazuki asked sincerely as he walked over to the other side of the room where the door was.

"Yeah," Kaoru said meekly, eyes still a bit hazed. "That...was nice."

Kazuki laughed out loud, his laughter echoing off the walls and warming Kaoru's heart. "Thanks."

Kaoru was still a bit out of it, so he wasn't completely thinking straight when he asked, "Do we get to do that again?"

Kazuki shot him a look with a smirk. It wasn't a sort of half smile he gave to play off something, no, this smirk was confident and had a bit of a mischievous hint to it. "Yeah, if you need it, I'll provide my service." He gave a wink to Kaoru before giving him a teasing kiss on his lips. It was no more than a quick peck, but it felt different from the others he had giving Kaoru. It didn't have that hunger the last ones had but was much more gentle, sincere even.

Kaoru didn't have a chance to respond before Kazuki walked to the door and left the room, entering into the main host room. Kaoru pressed a hand to his lips, feeling the ghosting touch of Kazuki's lips, and thought back on the whole experience. He wasn't sure if he needed that again anytime soon, but he surely did want it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone, it's me.I have to bring something to attention, a mistake on my part. When I went into this story, I had about a 70% idea of what I was going to do with this story. I did a lot according to plan, but, as stories go, I changed a lot, too. I do things as I go, which isn't always the best. I have a few continuity errors that I want to address to make sure the story can be understood. I know it is very unprofessional to change things like this, but I am working on it and I am still getting used to publishing my work for hundreds to see. While making the backstory, which I know you guys really want and are interested in, I changed a few things that won't add up in the long run. So here are a few things I have mentioned and changed.
> 
> I said that Kazuki never met his real dad, but he does.
> 
> Yumi, his mother mentioned in chapter 10, left when Kazuki was eight.
> 
> I said that Kazuki doesn't have many memories with his mother, which again, I changed so he does.
> 
> These are a few among many, and I am sorry for flipping things around. I am currently going back through the chapters to fix any remaining errors and am still working on new ones. Thank you for my patience and I promise and increase in effort and quality. Thank you to Noragamiworrior for being my beta and helping me make my story better. And thank you to all the readers and people reading and commenting.


	12. Chapter 12

Shigure grew up in an environment that anyone would have thought was normal, even he thought everything was okay, but a few knew it wasn't. Shigure was raised believing Yumi was his older sister and Tohru and Riyoma were his parents. Even though Yumi was known to have a few health problems, Shigure was born completely healthy, his only problem was his subpar eyesight, but it was a relief that he didn't have the sort of problems as his 'sister'.

Yumi and Shigure had a loving relationship. She was always willing to read him stories, go out with him, teach him to sing, and have his friends over. She called him her duckling and loved to take him to see the lakes or have walks in the rain. Yumi was in his life as much as her mother, trying hard to be the best she could to him.

It seemed like Shigure was going to live a good life. His family's company was growing, he was smart and social. He had befriended a few friends over time, the blonde girl named Sayuri and the boy from the garden party, Reiji. And anyone who saw him would see a large smile forever plastered on his face.

But not all good things last.

When Shigure was six, he had a bit of trouble going to sleep one night, so he left to his parent's room. For once Mommy and Daddy were both home and he hoped that they'd let him sleep with them. He went up to the door when he heard the two arguing. Shigure didn't hear them yell a lot, so it frightened him and kept him frozen in his place. He clenched onto his stuffed duck that Yumi had given him years ago.

"What I am trying to say is that he is rearing his face again, and I will not allow it!" Riyoma shouted, walking to the other side of the room. "I wish I never let that bastard into my house."

"Quite, Riyoma," his wife hissed. "I agree, it is a problem, but you don't need to be so loud, you'll wake Shigure. Do you want my son to hear you?" She always referred to Shigure as her son, yet her husband barely even spoke to either Yumi or Shigure.

"Do not call that thing your son. It isn't yours, it was a mistake! Even the girl is trouble. To think that I had hopes for her."

Shigure's eyes widen in shock. What was Daddy talking about?

"You will not say that about him!" Tohru said, standing up from the bed, words coming out harsher. "I do not care if you dislike them, you won't speak that way about our children."

"Our children!?" Riyoma said spitefully. "One of them is nothing but a disgrace to this family, and the other one is no better. After what she did, do you think I even want her in my sight?"

"It has been six _years_."

"And that disgusting thing she had is walking around this manor calling me Daddy and asking me for things. And every time I see it, I just think 'what could they have been thinking?' Those stupid kids and _you_. Why do you want to keep the living filth around here, Tohru?"

"Because he is my grandson and I love him!" Shigure could hear her voice shaking, tears undoubtedly stinging her eyes. "Because I thought that my daughter would never be able to have a child or would die during labor because she has a bad heart. _I_ almost died giving birth to her. So having a healthy, lovely child that shares my blood makes me so happy. He is all I ever wanted and more and I will not abandon him because he has done _nothing_ wrong! And she made a mistake, we all do. It was your mistake for not trying to act like a father or get her to open up to the other kids. And my mistake is leaving her in your hands. Honestly, Riyoma, I would say my mistake was marrying you, and the only reason I will say it wasn't was because it helped bring two wonderful people into this world. And I swear, I love those two kids more than I ever did you."

Shigure left from the door, not wanting to hear anything else. He had trouble going to sleep before, but now he undoubtedly was going to be up all night. Not everything the adults argued about stuck with Shigure, but he did catch an important part; that his parents weren't really his parents and confirmed that his father, no, his grandfather hated him. Shigure sobbed into his pillows for the remainder of the night.

The next day, Shigure went into Yumi's room. He was tired from the lack of sleep the previous night and his eyes were puffy. Yumi, who was reading a book about marriage, looked over at him and gasped.

"Shigure," she said in a shocked tone, rushing over to him and sweeping him up into a hug. "Oh, my little duckling, what is wrong?"

Shigure just shook his head against her shoulder, having no more tears to shed. "Yumi-nee, are you really my mommy?"

The girl stiffened, at lost for words. She didn't expect the question and had never prepared to answer it. She pulled Shigure away from her and looked him in the eyes. Yumi pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Why would you ask me that?"

"Last night, Mommy and Daddy were yelling at each other and Mommy said I was her grandson and I was your kid. And, and," Shigure began to get choked up on a sob again. "And Daddy said he didn't like me."

"Oh, Shigure," she said, pushing Shigure back into her, comforting him with a hug. "I am sorry you had to find out that way, I don't think Mom would have wanted you to know, at least not yet." She rubbed his head, looking up as if she was searching for guidance. "You can't tell them, you know, you can't tell anyone."

"I can't tell anyone, not even Sayuri?" Shigure asked.

"Not even Sayuri," Yumi said. She looked her son in his eye, both pairs of sadden eyes asking the other for help. "This is a secret, Shigure. You can't tell anyone, it is to protect us, okay?"

Shigure nodded his head obediently, not wanting to cause an issue. He could keep a secret, he knew he can. "So I can still call you Yumi-nee?"

Yumi held in a laugh and nodded. "And you're still my duckling. Come on, let's go get some food, I bet you're starving."

For weeks, Shigure was able to hold the secret and not tell anyone. He still called Tohru his mom but seemed to see less of his grandfather. Knowing the secret didn't change anything, the only thing that was changing was that Yumi started seeing this guy. He was kind and was from a rich family like the Hiros. Yumi seemed happy with him and Shigure heard the word marriage leave her lips more than once.

One day, Yumi was helping Shigure read a book when the boy asked, "If you're my real mommy, then who is my real daddy?"

Yumi was silent as she rubbed Shigure's cheek. "Do you want to know?"

The boy shook his head, eyes filled with excitement.

She gave a sigh and closed the book, placing it aside. "I met your dad when I was fifteen. He was very nice and made sure I stayed happy." Shigure knew what she meant when she said that. He had seen her in some of her depressed states and knew it was hard to get her to smile again. "We talked for months, he told me of the places he went and what he did. His stories were amazing and I could listen to them forever. He was smart, too. He would help me with my work when Dad couldn't and made it all seem so simple."

"Did he sing with you?" Shigure asked with awe.

She nodded his head. "He had such an amazing voice, we went well together. But you're a good singer, too." The boy gave a triumphant smile. Yumi had been giving him singing lessons for a while now, it being one of her favorite things to do with him.

"If you loved him so much, why isn't he here?" Shigure asked and immediately regretted it when he saw the pained expression on her face.

"We shouldn't have been together, it wasn't right for us. We were too different."

Shigure looked a the book that they were reading. "The knight and servant girl were different, but they married."

Yumi gave him a sad look and kiss his forehead. "The world isn't as pleasant as the books, it is cruel and you have to follow stupid rules that no one likes."

"Like how Ducky can't be at the table," Shigure said, looking over at the stuffed animal.

A laugh left Yumi's mouth as she nodded. "And how I can't wear pants."

"And I need to let old people kiss my cheek."

"What about me?" Yumi said, tickling the boy and kissing him as he squirmed and shrieked. "Now that, I'm the tickle-kiss monster."

"Yumi!" he shrieked in joy as he was ravished with tickles. "Stop! Stop!"

Yumi laughed and let go of Shigure, who was trying to catch his breath. She hummed and held Shigure tight in her arms, her chin on his head, hugging him close to her. "Things will work out, duckling, they will."

* * *

"This isn't going to work," Kazuki deadpanned, giving his sister a blank expression.

"Why not?" Aiko whined as she placed her hands on his shoulders and looked in the mirror with him. "I think you'd be dashing."

The boy gave her an incredulous look. "Are you serious? It feels wrong on so many levels for you to say that. Also, I am not wearing this on the trip." Kazuki threw the object across the room dismissively.

"Bless your sister and let me see you in the speedo."

"Are you listening to yourself!?" Kazuki rubbed his face, a bit frustrated with Aiko. He had asked her to pick up some swimwear for him, and she returns with a speedo. At first, Kazuki thought it was a joke and asked for his real shorts, but that was all she provided.

"I'm going to have to go out and get something myself," he said with a sigh. As Kazuki walked to his closet to change, he discarded his shirt and threw it in the direction of his bed. It landed on Aiko, who pulled it off her with an annoyed look.

"Should I call Sayuri?" she asked Kazuki as he looked through the clothes in his closet.

"Why not?" He held up two shirts for Aiko to see. "Black or blue denim?'

"Black," Aiko said as she got her phone out to text their friend. "Are we going to the big mall?"

"I guess," Kazuki said with a shrug. "You know I don't really go shopping like that. Aiko," he said seriously, looking over at his sister, "did you put these in my closet?" He held out a pair of red jeans he had yet to see before.

The girl just smiled cheekily. "You should try them on, you will look really good in them."

"Maybe," Kazuki said, dropping his sweats and trying on the pants. They actually fit him well and wasn't too tight. He rolled the sleeves of the shirt up to the elbows and looked in the mirror. "I don't understand what you are trying to do with my wardrobe, but it isn't too bad I think."

"Would you wear a necklace and earring?" Aiko said with wide eyes, genuinely excited to see if her brother would try it out.

Kazuki just shook his head with a smile. "Sure, I guess. Just nothing too weird." The girl shot up from where she was sitting and hurried out the door. Kazuki just sighed, knowing that she was just being herself. She had told him before that she really wanted a sibling closer to her age. She and Shou had an eight year age gap. As the two grew older, he became more and more busy with other things, making it hard for Aiko to get a real feeling of having a brother. Shou did love her a lot though.

Kazuki went to his nightstand and got his brush. By the time he had brushed out his hair and was considering whether to let it out or put it up, Aiko came in. With a smile, she put a silver chain necklace with a white, teardrop-shaped charm on it.

"Here," Aiko said, presenting him with a simple stud earring.

Kazuki nodded and took it from her hand. He only had his right ear pierced and never really put the time in to get the other done. He put the silver jewel into his ear and looked at his sister. "How do I look?"

"Dashing," Aiko complimented with a smirk. "I'm going to go change. The car will be in front."

Sayuri met them at the mall not too long after Aiko and Kazuki got there. It being a fairly warm day, she opted for a green sundress with silver sequins around the neckline and bottom. For once, she fully braided her hair and wore it over her shoulder. Her brown eyes seemed to sparkle when she looked up to see her friends.

"I'm surprised that you even bothered to come shopping," Sayuri said with a smile and she greeted Kazuki with a hug.

Kazuki let out a sigh. "I asked Aiko to get me something to go swimming in, she brings me back a speedo. I didn't have much of a choice."

"Speedo, huh," she said with a smirk as she turned to Aiko. "Did he put it on?"

Aiko made a face a young child would have made if they didn't get what they wanted. "He refused to put it on..." she grumbled.

"Not fair!" Sayuri said, giving Kazuki a semi-hard hit.

Kazuki just narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Why do you guys want to see me in a speedo so bad?"

"It would only make sense," Sayuri said as if it was the most logical thing in the world. "Girls wear bikinis, which shows literally everything. It would only be even if a guy wore something evenly as embarrassing and shameless."

"You just want to see my butt," Kazuki said, unamused. "Anyways, can we just go and get me appropriate swimwear?"

The girls nodded as the group entered the mall. It wasn't like Kazuki hated crowds or thought that it was boring to go shopping, he just wasn't good at making decisions. Not only that but picking things out, to begin with, was just a frustrating process. Plus it was impossible not to get severely sidetracked.

Like the trio currently was.

"I think that purple works well with her though," Kazuki argued, thrusting the purple shirt closer to Aiko.

"Are you listening to yourself?" Sayuri said with a groan. "Obviously it is blue. Have you not seen her eyes? Hello, they're a breathtaking shade of blue and it will only bring them out more." Sayuri pushed on, offering Aiko the blue blouse she had found.

"Not only does the purple compliment her eyes, but it is just her color," Kazuki insisted. "It gives her a look of youthful sophistication. She has the perfect purple hair piece to go with this, too."

Aiko just smiled at the two, a bit uneasy. "Or I can just try on both shirts. If I like them, I will get both, simple." She looked over her two friends' heads to see someone familiar. "Hey, is that Reiji?"

Kazuki and Sayuri looked over, and sure enough, Reiji was on the other side of the store. He was talking adamantly with a person the group had never met. They were an adult with had long, wavy, red hair and a joyful laugh.

"Who is that?" Aiko asked the two, who were thinking the same thing.

"Not sure," Sayuri said. "You guys know what seems a bit... off with her?"

"They're a tranny," Kazuki said, shocked. "I never met one before. They are very pretty actually."

Aiko looked over at Kazuki. "How can you tell?"

Sayuri shook her head. "He's weird like that."

"I"m going to say hi," Kazuki said, walking pass his friend and sister. "This is a life experience, to meet someone different and to embrace their way of life. We live in a day and age where everyone is different, and we need to stay united without disregarding anyo-"

"Kazuki!" a loud voice cheered and something collided with him. Kazuki was taken aback but stood his ground well. He looked down to see Reiji smiling up at him.

"Hey, Kazuki," Reiji said with too large of a smile. "I didn't know you were here." The boy looked behind Kazuki to see Sayuri and Aiko. "Hey, girls."

"Hello, Reiji," Aiko said with a smile, giving him a small wave.

"What are you doing in a women's store?" Sayuri said with a teasing smile. "Picking out a dress?"

Reiji recoiled from around Kazuki and gave a goofy grin. "Actually, yes," Reiji said. "That and I am out with Ranka."

"Ranka?" the girls said in unison.

"Reiji," a voice called, making the group turn around. Sure enough, the stranger they saw earlier was coming towards them. He stopped by the group, giving Reiji a disappointing look. "Why would you disappear on me like that?"

"Sorry," Reiji said apologetically. "I saw my friends." Reiji turned towards the group. "This is Sayuri Mushima, and Aiko and Kazuki Hiro."

"Well, hello," Ranka said with a kind smile. "I am Ryoji, but you guys can call me Ranka. Wait," he looked over at Kazuki with wide eyes, "are you _the_ Kazuki I hear so much about?"

Kazuki smiled a bit nervously. "I think so."

Ranka clapped his hands joyfully before taking Kazuki's hands in his own. "Oh, I am so delighted to meet you. Reiji told me so much about you. I am so happy that Reiji found a guy to spend his life with, it is amazing." Ranka than turn and with a sad expression on his face. "Reiji is like a son to me, and it hurt me so much when he told me about what happened to him in the past." The sad expression left his face, though, and Ranka was smiling widely. "But with you, I am sure that he will live a happy life."

Kazuki was dazed by confusion and was left with an empty expression. _Does this guy just go around introducing me as his fiance?_

"I-I'm sorry," Kazuki said, still trying to recover from shock. "I am not engaged with Reiji. He's a great friend, though."

Rank looked as if he was broke inside, the realization shattering him into a million pieces. He glared at Kazuki and pulled Reiji into a hug. "What, are you saying my Reiji isn't good enough for you? That is fine, he doesn't need a lowly person like you in his life who obviously doesn't give him the love that he deserves." Ranka pointed a threatening finger at Kazuki. "Kazuki Hiro, from today on you are my enemy!"

Kazuki just stared blankly at Ranka and Reiji, lost for words along with actions. Aiko and Sayuri were just looking on, speechless and dumbfounded from the conversation. No one could actually say what had happened.

"Dad, you have to stop doing that," a familiar voice said in a bored tone. Coming down the aisle was Haruhi, who looked a bit fed up. "You can't just keep doing that to people because they upset you."

"Haruhi, darling," Ranka said with a cheerful smile, completely changing from his menacing look. "You're back already."

She gave a sigh, offering her father a skirt he asked her to find for him. "Here. Now, please don't start declaring Kazuki-kun as your enemy."

"You know him?" Ranka asked, placing a finger on his chin. "Well, I had no idea."

"I'm almost positive Kyoya-senpai had told you that we have a new host."

Ranka made a face as if he came to a revelation and clapped his hands together. "You mean the overly suspicious one?"

Kazuki rolled his eyes, no longer having faith that people introduce him with a sort of good light.

"Why are you guys here?" Haruhi asked, looking over to Aiko and Sayuri. It did make sense, they were in a women's clothing store, so it didn't seem logical for them to be here for Kazuki's benefit.

Kazuki let out a sigh when he realized how off track they were. "I'm supposed to be getting a swimsuit for the trip, but somehow we ended up here." He tossed Aiko the purple shirt he was still holding. "I'm going to go find something in a different store, you guys finish up here."

Kazuki gave his partings to the others and headed out the store on his own. _I need to stay focused, wandering around all day and forgetting my main goal won't end well. I guess I could go and get some other things later, we did come to the mall of all places. But still, first things first, I have to get that swimsuit, no matter wh- Is that Kaoru?_

Seeing Kaoru here was one of the last things that Kazuki would have thought would happen that day, but then again, he was declared the enemy of Haruhi's cross-dressing dad who thought Kazuki was going to marry Reiji. In short, about anything could happen. Kaoru was walking around by himself, looking a bit lost. Kazuki tried not to look stalkerish when he watched the other. Kaoru was wearing a vibrant blue shirt with a light grey over shirt. His pants were a bit baggy, but it was the style and looked quite well on him. Kazuki thought it was funny how he wasn't the only guy sporting jewelry when he noticed the bangles on Kaoru's wrist.

Should I approach him head on or let him come towards me? Or maybe just go over very subtly and 'accidentally' bump into each other. No, that never works smoothly, it is so forced, it is sad. Kazuki, please stop acting like a love sick girl. Be yourself, one sadly in love guy.

Kazuki inhaled deeply and gradually let it out. He kept telling himself that he was just being stupid. He had to stop acting like this was his first time seeing Kaoru, although it did feel that way each time. He took the heads on approach, knowing it will make him feel better if he had control of the situation.

"Kaoru," Kazuki called out as he approached the twin. Kaoru turned and saw Kazuki, causing him to smile gleefully.

"Hey, Kazuki," Kaoru greeted. "How are you doing?"

"Great. What are you getting this fine Saturday?"

Kaoru explained how he and Hikaru were there with Haruhi but had lost her some time ago. The rest of the host were there also but were off doing their own things.

"Do you guys always spent the weekend together?" Kazuki asked as the two walked around.

Kaoru shrugged. "Tamaki usually has the sudden urge to do something, so we go with it." He looked up with a sigh. "It's our last year together, anyways, so we might as well keep it together, right?"

"Yeah," Kazuki agreed. A swimwear shop stole his attention, which he immediately headed for. "Let's go in there." Kazuki took Kaoru's hand in his and lead him in the direction. The two entered the store, Kaoru a bit clueless on the situation.

Kaoru looked around, inspecting the shop he was dragged into. "What are we getting from here?"

"I need a swimsuit," Kazuki said, walking over to the men's section in search of his needs. "I asked Aiko to pick one up for me, but she wasn't serious about it at all."

Kaoru gave him a raised brow. "What, she gave you trunks with ducks on them or something?"

"Or something," Kazuki answered with a roll of his eyes. "She bought me a speedo."

Kaoru made a noise somewhere between a cough and choke, his hand covering his mouth. Kazuki looked over with a defeated smile as Kaoru burst into laughter. It was more than likely loud enough for the universe to hear, yet Kazuki felt like he could barely hear it with his blood running through him so rapidly.

Kazuki only shook his head with a smile as Kaoru calmed his laughter.

"Sorry," Kaoru said, regaining his calm. "It is just, a speedo? Did you put it on?"

"Of course not." Kazuki looked through the shorts, trying to find something he'd like.

Kaoru gave him a look, a bit of pink on his cheeks. "Maybe it would suit you."

Was Kaoru suggesting what Kazuki thought he was? There was no way Kaoru was being that bold, but the twin did have his moments. Kazuki didn't bring the speedo with him to the store, so he found one for sale. He turned around and looked Kaoru in the eye, his eyes conveying 'I'm going to do this once, and only once.' Kaoru just pressed his lips together, trying his best not to smile.

There were two things wrong with the speedo. One thing that made Kazuki uneasy was the fact that he was planning on wearing a shirt to the beach to hide his scar, which would look weird with such a small piece of clothing. Of course, the other problem was the speedo itself. It was tight and made Kazuki feel overly exposed.

Kazuki peeked his head from the curtain that hid the occupant of the dressing room. "Kaoru?" he called out, trying to see if the twin was still out there.

"Right here," Kazuki heard. He leaned out the room more to see Kaoru walking into the area with something draped over his arm. "Did you actually put it on?"

Kazuki looked away, whether because of annoyance or embarrassment was unknown. Making sure to face Kaoru without his back showing, Kazuki pulled back the curtain. He tried to feel confident, but he was beyond uncomfortable at that point. He knew Kaoru was staring at him, but it felt like his eyes were hands ruthlessly ravishing his body. Kazuki could feel it, on his legs, chest, arms, crotch, everywhere. Kazuki was barely wearing anything yet it was so, so hot. Kazuki finally met Kaoru's eyes, which were open so wide he half expected them to fall out. Kazuki was overly exposed, to the point where he thought he might not even be wearing the stupid speedo. He gripped his left forearm with his right hand, averting his eyes for a moment.

"It is so stupid," Kazuki mumbled in one breath.

"Yeah," Kaoru finally said, dragging out the single words as much as long as the silence went for. "I don't think you should wear that." He looked down on the ground and Kazuki could see that his ears were pink.

"Here," Kaoru said, taking a step closer and handing Kazuki the clothes he was holding in his arms. They were a few pairs of swimming trunks Kaoru had picked up. "I'm not sure what your size is, so I guessed. I think these would be much more, uh, suitable."

Kazuki gave the other a small smile before taking the offered clothes and closing the curtain. He crouched down onto the floor, gradually lowering himself until he sat down. God, his heart was pounding way too much to be healthy. That was the most non-touching, sexually intimate moment he had ever had in his life. How did Kaoru keep doing this to him?

After gathering his scattered nerves, Kazuki took off the cursed speedo and tried on the different short. Kaoru guessed pretty well for Kazuki's size, one of the shorts being a bit small. Kazuki chose a pair of simple orange ones with black trimming.

"Now all I need is a swim shirt," Kazuki mumbled to himself as he looked in the mirror, studying how this pants looked on him. He tossed his shirt back on, not bothering to button is. When he stepped out, he noticed that Kaoru was no longer there. Maybe he went to the bathroom.

It didn't take long for Kazuki to pick up a black swimming shirt and head back to the dressing room. He tried it on with the trunks he was still wearing and thought that it looked well enough to buy.

As Kazuki exited the dressing area, he saw a familiar head of auburn hair. He was about to ask Kaoru why he left so suddenly, but then he noticed that it wasn't Kaoru.

"Hikaru?" Kazuki asked as he neared his fellow host. Hikaru turned around and looked at Kazuki like he was surprised that he was here, maybe he was.

"Hey, Kazuki," the twin said. "What are you doing here?"

Kazuki raised the clothes in his hands, nonverbal telling Hikaru the goal he had achieved. "Did you see Kaoru?"

"No." Hikaru scratched the back of his head. "He texted me that he was in here, but I don't see him. Was he in here with you?"

Kazuki couldn't not notice the tautness in Hikaru's voice when he said the words, it sounding like Hikaru was annoyed by the thought in a way.

Kazuki was calm, meloy even when he said, "he was, what about it?"

"Nothing," the twin said, crossing his arms. "I am surprised you don't have a swim suit, Aiko always likes to talk about going to the beach."

Kazuki gave a single shrug of his shoulder. "I'm not one for the beach, honestly. Besides, it was always a bit too cold to go swimming in England." Truth be told, he never went swimming at the beach during his trips to England. It was always off limits because if he was ever needed for something, he wouldn't be able to drop everything and leave quickly enough if he was swimming. Not only that, but Shion couldn't swim, so Kazuki never had to escort her to any trip. But he had walked the beach with Izumi several times and did enjoy it.

"Do you even know how to swim?" Hikaru asked, more than likely not understanding why Kazuki would even need them if he doesn't like swimming at the beach.

"I do," Kazuki said, irritation creeping into his tone. He had to go through plenty of training to make sure he could protect Shion, advanced swimming lessons being part of it. Kazuki looked Hikaru straight in the eyes. He wasn't going to play games, he wasn't the kind to step around things.

"Is there something you need from me, Hikaru?" Kazuki questioned. It was odd, he thought that Hikaru was okay with him, but somewhere along the way, he must have done something to bother him.

Hikaru gave him an aggravated look, looking about ready to blow. "I need you to not bother Kaoru."

What made Hikaru think that Kazuki was doing anything? Well, he was, but not in a way that Kaoru didn't want him to. Maybe Hikaru picked up on the awkwardness from before and was only trying to be possessive. Kazuki wasn't doing anything wrong though, so why was Hikaru acting like Kazuki was attacking his brother?

"I'm not bothering, Kaoru," Kazuki said sternly. "Why would you think I was bothering him?"

Hikaru gave Kazuki a single glare, which made everything click in place. Kaoru was hiding what was happening between him and Kazuki from Hikaru. Hikaru knew that and it bothered him that his brother, his twin, was hiding secrets from him. The two were really close, so of course Hikaru will get upset, even possessive over his brother. But to Kazuki, it wasn't Hikaru's place to determine what happened to Kaoru. Kazuki didn't want to wedge between them, but he wasn't doing anything wrong.

"All I am saying is that Kaoru has been acting strange since you showed up," Hikaru said, annoyance dragging down his words. "We don't need someone coming to mess things up."

"'We' don't?" Kazuki asked and anyone could hear the mocking tone he was using. "Because to me, it seems like you're the one that thinks something is being messed with." He didn't like instigating things, but Kazuki wasn't the guy to be stumped on or pushed aside. Even when he was at the will of others, he wasn't afraid to challenge people when he felt like he was being threatened in any way. "It is admirable of you to care for your brother, Hikaru, but don't think that you can control him. He is his own being, just in case you didn't know. If he enjoys being with me, I won't stop him because I like it too, and I won't be sorry if you are jealous about that." Kazuki gave Hikaru a deadly glare, a way of saying 'try to mess with me'.

The reaction Hikaru had was not surprising. Obviously, he was taken aback, but he clearly was angered with Kazuki. He was out of his element and Kazuki could tell that he was a bit lost on how to challenge that. "Don't hurt Kaoru or you'll regret it," was all Hikaru said before leaving Kazuki.

Kazuki sighed and looked around, not knowing exactly why. Great, he now has Hikaru not liking him, so it made both him and Kyoya. Kazuki just went to the checkout, hoping none of what happened will come to haunt him later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked the chapter, leave a comment if you did.


	13. Chapter 13

Things seemed to have begun to travel downhill really fast for the Ren family. It started when Shigure first turned eight. He noticed that Tohru and Riyoma had become more and more distant from one another. Yumi tried to hide it from Shigure, distracting him from their fights as she gave him other things to focus on. She liked to talk to Shigure about her own love life a lot. Yumi was twenty-four at the time and had been able to start a relationship with a guy. It was something that her father thought would never happen and her mother was overjoyed.

One day, Tohru came into the room when Shigure and Yumi were painting pictures. She was very serious when she asked the question she was debating for weeks. Yumi was very conflicted, not sure whats she was thinking, while Shigure was silent.

“Well?” Tohru asked, waiting for her daughter and grandson to speak.

“I like Obachan,” Shigure said with a smile. “We haven’t seen her in a long time.”

Tohru gave him a smile and then looked over at Yumi, who was avoiding eye contact. “How about it, Yumi, would you like to go live with me at my mother’s?”

“I”m not sure,” she said. “I am finally getting things together, Mom. I am going to be getting married, so I don’t think there is much of a reason for me to move.”

Tohru reached out her hand and placed it on Yumi’s hand. “I know, and I am so happy that you are able to start a new chapter in your life, but I can't leave you here with your father.” She squeezed her daughter’s hand. “Not again, I don’t think I can leave you with him. He... he doesn’t give you enough care.”

“I’ll be fine, but,” Yumi let her gaze travel over to Shigure, who was looking at her with wide, curious eyes, “may you leave after the wedding? I would like to be with Shigure for a bit longer.”

“Of course,” Tohru said. So it was settled, Shigure was going to leave with Tohru to stay with her mother. Her mother lived in Okinawa, so they had to fly over to her. Tohru said she would be making one more trip to her mother’s, to get things settled in. Yumi’s wedding wasn’t for a few months anyways, but it couldn’t hurt to be prepared. Well, that is what everyone thought. Nothing had ever happened the many times she went to Okinawa, so what would be different this time?

It was a dreadful day for everyone when they heard that Tohru’s plane had crashed. Was it the engine, or the wings of the plane? No one was looking for the details, they were searching for a possibility, a hope, that their loved ones had survived. And Tohru did, in a way. She was left in critical condition, with several near fatal injuries. No one could really tell if they were relieved when they heard she was in a coma.

Yumi fell into a deep depression, the worse one in years. Her medications weren’t helping in the slightest and she even began to turn away Shigure when he came knocking on her door. Her health began to decline and she wandered around as if she was a ghost when she found the little energy to leave her room. On top of it all, her wedding was called off and the man left her with nothing more than an apology.

Around that time, one of the Ren company’s biggest partner cut ties with the family, causing them to lose a huge fraction of their worth. Stocks began to drop and little by little they were falling into dangerous waters. Riyoma was always in his office, door locked and papers everywhere, trying desperately to keep everything afloat while drowning himself.

And that left Shigure. His grandmother was in the hospital, the grandfather who never liked him was completely gone, and his mother was more distant than ever. To help him cope, he asked to see Sayuri more. When she could, she would come over and things became more and more easy to go through. She seemed to have been the light in the darkness, the only thing that Shigure needed. And would always make things better, but even she was moving away for some time.

One day Shigure was playing at the edge of the property where there was a large pond. He was searching for frogs and ducks like he used to do with Yumi when he saw a man walking by on the outer side of the gate. Shigure gave him a weird look and walked over to the metal gate the man was pacing by.

“Hello?” Shigure said, making the guy freeze. He looked like he could be in his late twenties, maybe early thirties. His hair was a long and light brown and he seemed to be mumbling something frantic to himself.

“Um, hi,” he said with a smile, looking around to make sure he and Shigure were the only two in the area. He came closer to the gate and smiled. “Is this the Ren house?”

Shigure nodded, looking at the man with an odd look. There was something familiar about him like he had seen something about the stranger before. Then it hit him; he had seen those eyes many times. They were like his own, except the man’s look much more tired and aged. Shigure wasn’t thinking when he asked, “are you here to see Yumi-nee?”

The man’s face lit up with a smile and he nodded. He grabbed the bars of the fence as if it brought him closer to the person he was there for. “Yes, yes I am. Is she here?”

“Yes, but she is very sad right now, so I don’t think she is ready to talk with anyone. She won't let me in right now, so I am not sure.”

“Please,” the stranger said. “I can make her happy again, I promise.”

Shigure bit his lip, he wasn’t sure if he should let the man in. He didn’t even know his name. But he said he can make her happy again, which would be great. If she was happy, then she would talk with Shigure again and everything will be better.

“What’s your name?” Shigure asked the man. “I can’t let you in if I do not know your name.”

“Fujiwara,” he said, eyes pleading to be let in. “My name is Fujiwara, so may I come in?” Shigure nodded and lead the man to a hole in the fence where himself and Sayuri liked to sneak off the property. It was large enough for the man to crawl through, which he managed to do. Shigure noted how naturally the man walked through the garden as if he had been there many times before.

Maybe the staff didn’t see the two or they just didn’t care, but Shigure and Fujiwara were able to walk to Yumi’s room without being stopped. Once they got there, Shigure stopped the man.

“You have to wait,” the young boy said to the other. “I will go talk with her first.”

Fujiwara nodded, looking around frantically. “How about I come in the room with you? I won't talk to her, just..just let me in.”

Shigure nodded and opened the door. Fujiwara quickly walked inside and Shigure followed and closed the door.

“Yumi-nee,” Shigure said as he walked over to her bed. “Yumi-nee, I have someone here to see you.”

Yumi was sitting up in her bed, looking out the window with a faraway glance. She looked thinner than before and she had bags under her eyes from sleepless nights. She wasn’t the person that Shigure sang with or read a book to. She seemed to just be going through the motions of being there.

Shigure came up to her and tapped her shoulder. “Yumi-nee?”

Slowly, she moved her head so she was looking down at them. Yumi gave him a very weak and forced smile, one she always tried to wear like it would cover up her image. “Hey, duckling,” she said in a tired voice even though she laid in bed for the majority of the day. “What’s up?”

“There’s someone who wanted to visit you,” he said, rubbing her arm. She would always do it to him when he was sad, so he would always try, even when it didn’t work.

Yumi just shook her head in a very sluggish motion. “Shigure, you know I don’t want visitors.”

“I know, but he said that he really needed to see you. His name is Fujiwara.”

Yumi’s already confused face became inscrutable at the words. “Honey, what are you talking about? How do you even know that name? He isn’t here, I think of him being here, but...”

“Yumi,” a voice said softly, making the girl turn all the way around. Her eyes widened when she saw the man standing in the room. Shigure saw Fujiwara go over to Yumi and give her a large hug. He thought that it would make Yumi feel better, but the girl immediately began to sob, tears running down her face.

Shigure pouted and went to push Fujiwara off of her. “Get off of her, you are making her cry,” Shigure said, pulling at the man. Yumi had been upset for so long and this man was making it worse, and he didn’t want that. This guy lied to Shigure and all he wanted was for Yumi to be better.

“Shigure,” Yumi said through sobs. “It’s fine.”

And for a bit, it seemed that way. Fujiwara talked with Yumi for a bit, saying things that Shigure wasn’t really picking up on. All the boy could focus on was that Yumi was smiling again and she looked at him. Not like how she did when she was sad, when her eyes faced him but looked so far gone. She stroked his hair as he laid in her lap, slowing going to sleep.

Everything after that day seemed to get less and less clear. Shigure noticed that Yumi left her room a lot to go to the garden. She would always tell him to wait inside and she will come back later and they would play, which they rarely did. One day, Shigure followed her to see what was happening, why she was abandoning him.

Shigure found Yumi in the far corner of the garden talking with Fujiwara, the two holding hands. Shigure wanted to know what was happening, he needed to be told, but he didn’t want to make Yumi upset and cause her to get sad again. So he waited for her to play with him, to talk with him, to hold him in her arms and tell him a story.

The day didn’t come. All Shigure wanted to do was to make Yumi happy, so he brought her the man who said he’d make her happy. And maybe she was happy, or maybe she was just going through the phases of being happy. He would never be able to ask her, because he opened the door to Yumi’s room to find it empty. It was earlier in the morning and rain was still falling from the night’s storm, so she wouldn’t be outside.

Shigure went to every room of the house, calling for Yumi, but not a person responded. He didn’t know what to do, Yumi was gone and there was nothing for him to do. Was this an emergency? He thought it was, so Shigure did what Yumi told him to do if anything super, horribly bad happened.

Two knocks, that was all Shigure had to do, only two knocks. His hand was shaking a bit and he was scared. When was the last time Shigure even spoke to him? This man hated him, and Shigure was scared of him to the point where he avoided him as well. But if he wanted Yumi back, Shigure had to do it. So he knocked twice.

There was silence.

He knocked once more, even managing to call out.

“What?” a deep, harsh voice snapped from the other side.

“Daddy,” Shigure called out. “Yumi-nee is gone.”

Nothing was said for a good minute and Shigure started to think that he imaged the other voice. He took a deep breath, trying to find his courage as he placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it, opening the door. “Daddy, I don’t know where she is.”

Shigure had not seen the office in a while, Riyoma making it clear he didn’t want Shigure in there whatsoever. It felt dark and lifeless, worse than atmosphere when Yumi was sad. And there sat Riyoma, tired eyes looking at a laptop screen, hands going through papers without even glancing at them. A frown so deep on his face it was sinking his skin into wrinkles. He gave a sigh heavy enough to blew out all the air in the room.

“What do you mean she is gone?” he said in such a bored tone he might as well have ignored the question altogether.

Shigure shuffled in his spot right in front of the doorway, not daring to go any further. “S-She isn’t in her room and it's raining, so I don’t think she would be in the garden with him.”

Shigure must have said something wrong because Riyoma snapped his attention to Shigure, his eyes so hard they were cutting into Shigure and he felt like crying. Maybe he was crying, everything was so unclear.

“In the garden with who?” Riyoma asked, his voice booming and making Shigure shake like a single leaf in a storm.

“W-With Fu-Fujirawa,” Shigure stuttered, clutching his hands to his chest. He knew Riyoma didn’t like him, he didn’t need much evidence of that, but this was his worst nightmare. The man looked infuriated, like an angered beast ready to kill the first thing it saw. Shigure was so, so scared. Riyoma was yelling at him but he didn’t hear anything, all he felt was paralyzing terror that caused him to curl up in a ball on the floor, hand over his head, tears running down his face.

He wanted Ducky.

He wanted Sayuri.

He wanted Mommy.

He wanted Yumi-nee.

Shigure just didn’t want to be alone anymore, so why wasn’t anyone there?

<><>

“Hiro-san.” His name broke Kazuki out of his dazed mindset, ending his thoughts of the other day. He turned towards the teacher, who was looking at him with tightly pressed lips. Kazuki could feel other eyes on him but chose not to mind them.

“Yes?” he answered, sitting straighter to give the illusion he was paying attention.

“May you answer the question?” she asked.

Kazuki let out a groan only he could hear. “May you please repeat the question?” Kazuki requested.

The teacher gave a sigh, probably thinking that she should retire soon. “From your life experience, what do you think is a sign of something impending happening?”

What a stupid question, why did it even matter? Things happen, there was barely ever a sign for it. Kazuki looked back out the window, letting the word slip from his mouth with a sort of drag to it, “rain.”

“And why would you say that?” the teacher countered, more than likely trying to get a sort of conversation going.

“Like you said, based on past experiences.” Kazuki leaned back in his chair. “Rain brings all sorts of stuff. Without rain, flowers wouldn’t bloom, which means it helps give birth and life. Even with that, though, it is associated with gloom and misery.”

The teacher nodded, finally satisfied with what Kazuki said and moved on to her next victim. Kazuki looked back at the window, watching the droplets of rain splat onto the window. Yumi would always tell him to listen to the little things, whistling pots in the kitchen, the creaking of old floorboards, the pitch in a note, all the things that made the sounds of life. Their favorite, besides each other's singing, was the sound of rain. Kazuki used to listen to the different sounds it would make, it was alway different in a way, not even Yumi was as good at telling as he was.

The next sound was the bells chiming, indicating to the students to move to their next class. As the rest of his classmates and teacher left the room, Kazuki remained seated. Next period was gym, and like usual, Kazuki had no intentions of going to class. He had to wait for Sayuri to come, her class being some way away from his own. Kazuki crossed his arms on the desk and rested his hand on them, continuing to look out the window.

A chair being dragged across caused Kazuki to look up, not expecting anyone else to be there. After placing the chair across from Kazuki, Kaoru sat in it, leaning his head on his hand.

“So you just stay in here instead of going to gym?” Kaoru asked with a small smile.

“Oh no,” Kazuki said as a joke, but it sounded much too dry. “I have been caught, now where am I supposed to go during the wretched class that is gym?”

Kaoru nodded, noting the way Kazuki’s words didn’t carry his usual cool but snarking tone. The twin followed Kazuki’s eyes to the window, watching the rain fall as well.

“So, rain,” Kaoru said, trying hard to keep the conversation going. “Does this make it so something crazy will happen?”

Kazuki shook his head. “Not necessarily. Things don’t happen because it rains, but more often than not, when something does occur, it is raining.”

Kaoru nodded in agreement, going along with that Kazuki was saying. “So do you like the rain?”

“I think,” Kazuki said. “My mother loved it. She would take me out to look for ducks and frogs by the ponds and we would look for the largest puddles to jump in.” Kazuki let out a sad sigh. “When it was just to two of us.”

“Kazuki, are you okay?” Kaoru asked.

Kazuki turned his head so he was facing the twin. He looked into Kaoru's eyes, which were much more vibrant and lively than the clouded sky. They made Kazuki want to say everything right then and there, which didn’t seem too bad.

“My mom had depression.” Kazuki made it seem like the most casual thing they could have been discussing. “Sometimes I feel like she gave it to me. I don’t want to blame things on her, although I could do that with a lot of things, but it isn’t fair.”

Kaoru remained silent, there wasn’t much he could say to that. What could he say about someone he never met? Especially when he thought she was dead.

Oh crap, wrong mother. Kazuki bit his lower lip. “But I shouldn’t say that, that’ll be wrong of me. I’m just tired, I guess.” Kazuki snuggled himself further into his arm, maybe if he did that he could just think he didn’t say those words. “Sorry,” he mumbled into his arms, hoping that Kaoru heard.him.

“It’s fine,” the other said, sounding a bit unsure of himself. “We all have our off days. Do you think you are going to take a nap?”

Kazuki nodded, not trusting himself to say anything at the moment and spill something he should keep in.

“Do you want me to stay with you?”

“You don’t have to,” Kazuki said. “I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble for missing gym.”

Kaoru let out a scoff, lowering his head so he was on eye level with Kazuki. “If you and Sayuri could get away with it, I can also. Besides, I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t willing to do it.”

Kazuki looked back at the Kaoru. Those damn brown eyes looking even more exotic when the twin smiled like that. It was intoxicating, like a drug that only pumped Kazuki’s blood more and more. And if they were a drug, then Kazuki was a helpless addict, unable to break free from something so good, so good it’ll hurt in the end.

Kazuki didn’t check the door to see if Sayuri or anyone was entering the classroom or to gave Kaoru a heads up, it didn’t cross his mind. The only thing that was happening was that unfightable signals were telling Kazuki to kiss Kaoru. Which he did. Kazuki sat up and leaned across the desk, reaching over for Kaoru and getting him by the back of the head. Kaoru let out a shocked sound before his lips met Kazuki’s.

Kazuki didn’t mind that their teeth clicked a bit or the fact they were at a weird angle, all he needed was this feeling of closeness. He moved his lips with Kaoru as the other tried to find his bearing in the situation. Kazuki wasn’t trying to be gentle in the slightest, it not being his main priority. He was rough, a bit sloppy, and very, very needy. Kazuki bit on Kaoru lower lip, smirking when he heard the other whimper with small shudder. They were breathing in each others air, yet there didn’t seem to be enough to go around.

Kazuki barely allowed himself or Kaoru to breathe before locking their lips together, plunging his tongue into Kaoru mouth. The moan Kaoru gave was far too loud but neither of them really cared. Kaoru placed his hand on the back of Kazuki’s neck running his finger in the roots of the hair.

Kazuki pulled away from the kiss, watching as Kaoru opened his bewildered eyes as he tried his best to catch his breath. Kazuki leaned over to the other’s ear and whispered, “you really are a sinful angel.”

“A what?” Kaoru asked, a bit lost and preoccupied with trying to get Kazuki’s lips back on his.

Kazuki put his hand over Kaoru’s mouth, smiling when he heard Kaoru gave an involuntary, pleading whine. “As much as I want to completely devour you, this isn't the place or time to do so.”

He removed Kazuki’s hand from his mouth so he could speak, his lips pouting. “Then why did you do it?”

“I’m not myself today.”

Kazuki could see that he had flipped a switch in Kaoru, making it so he wasn’t thinking with his head. “No one will come in, they should be in class. Like the last tim-”

“It is different. Besides, I would never risk getting you in trouble, I would hate for you to get punished for something I instigated.” Kazuki took a firm hold of Kaoru’s chin, making it so they were looking straight at each other. “But don’t think for a moment I don’t want to ravish you.”

The blush Kaoru gave did nothing to suppress Kazuki’s urges, bit he fought them nonetheless. Kazuki thought it was a sort of torment in a way, having the permission to do what he wanted to the person he liked but was restrained by other forces.

“Kaoru?” The voice caused both of the students to turn, Kazuki releasing his grip from Kaoru. Appearing in the doorway was Hikaru, who immediately spotted the two upon entry of the room. Hikaru looked directly at Kazuki, giving him a not so subtle glare.

“Hikaru,” Kaoru said, his voice cracking a bit due to the surprise it carried. He stood from his seat a bit too fast, causing the action to seem much too awkward and rigid to be natural. “What are you doing here?”

“I can ask you the same thing,” Hikaru said, crossing his arms. “I asked the coach if I could come and get you. You didn’t show up for gym.”

Kaoru looked at Kazuki from the corner of his eyes, thinking back to the reason he was skipping. “I wasn’t feeling very well, I wasn’t up for going today.”

It shocked Kazuki that Kaoru was lying about it, not only that but to Hikaru of all people. Maybe what Kazuki was thinking about before was true and Kaoru constant hiding of thing is what was driving Hikaru towards disliking Kazuki.

Hikaru glanced back at Kazuki, who sat straight in his chair without saying a word. “Then let’s go to the nurse.” He came over and took Kaoru by the hand, dragging him out. Kaoru looked over his shoulder, giving Kazuki one last small smile before allowing himself to be pulled from the room. As the twins exited Shayari showed up, watching the two leave the room with a raised brow. Once the boys cleared the doorway, Sayuri walked into the room.

“Did I miss something big?” she asked, coming to sit where Kaoru had been sitting. For once in his life, Kazuki was willing to trade Sayuri out for someone else, but he knew that it wouldn’t happen. Of course, he wanted that someone else to be Kaoru, just so he could have one more second with him, just the two of them.

“Not really,” Kazuki shrugged off, dismissing the lie. Kazuki turned towards the window, once again observing the rain. “It is coming down harder now.”

“Yeah,” Sayuri said with a sigh. “Have you been watching it?”

“Listening.”

“Of course,” she hummed, a smiling forming on her lips. “Well, I am listening to your voice and I can tell you are really not yourself today.”

Kazuki scoffed, the corner of his mouth tugging up ever so slightly. He took it back, he would never trade anyone for Sayuri, even for all the happiness and chocolate in the world. “I stayed up all night contemplating the meaning of my life and how it affects others.”

“Again?” Sayuri joked with a playful push. “Thinking too hard is dangerous and will cause you to lose the majority of the little brain cells you have left.”

“Please, I would still have more than you,” Kazuki teased back flicking the girl’s forehead. “Is there even anything in there to begin with?”

“I have more in my head than you do inches.”

“Are you undermining my manhood?”

“You can listen to the rain but can’t understand what I am saying, you’re such an idiot.”

“An idiot that makes better grades than you, so I wonder where that puts you.”

“Kazuki, hun, did you put your contacts on today or do you need your glasses, because anyone could see I am the superior student.”

“Only if being laziness was a class.”

”Look, the pot is calling the kettle black.”

“And like a kettle, you’re only good for making tea, and you can’t even do that quietly.”

“Oh, now that is just sexist.”

The two dropped their serious expressions and burst into laughter. It felt like the sun was stolen from the sky and exploded inside that very room. The burst of lights going into Kazuki and warming him from the inside out.

“Where have you been, Kazuki?” Sayuri said, sighing with a smile.

“What do you mean?”

The girl just shook her head, blonde hair swaying with the movements. “Nothing. Hey, let’s go spy on Aiko’s class.”

~~~~~~

No matter how Kazuki felt, there was nothing he could do to get out of hosting for the day. Well, nothing that wouldn’t involve him directly hurting himself or if an ‘accident’ unfortunately fell upon Kyoya. It seemed like the rain had drowned out most of the students’ will to stay after school, so it wasn’t the busiest of days. One thing that Kazuki did notice was that Haruhi seemed a bit persistent on getting home, which he wasn’t sure why.

It wasn’t anymore bearable for Kazuki when he caught Hikaru giving him dirty looks every time he so much gazed in the direction of Kaoru. Kazuki didn’t want to have to confront Hikaru again and cause him to dislike him more, but he wasn’t going to put up with it all.

Kazuki shook his head, wanting the thoughts to leave him mind. He looked over to Aiko, where she was talking with Tamaki with a large smile on her face. She was his last client and was informing the blonde about her idea to have Mori and Honey come back soon since Kazuki had said they were almost on break.

Kazuki was just about to get up and head for the door when it happened. There was a loud clap of thunder and suddenly the lights went out, consuming the room into total darkness. There was a yelp, maybe two as the thunder rolled over.

Kazuki began to panic the moment his world was nothing but black. He jumped out of his chair and felt like his heart was going to jump out of his chest with how fast it was beating. It was dark and it terrified Kazuki to no end, especially since it was so sudden. He felt around aimlessly for a moment, trying to find something that could connect him to the world. Suddenly, it felt like he was being consumed like he was being suffocated.

“Aiko,” he stuttered out. He knew there were other people in there, the hosts were in here too, but he couldn’t hear a thing. There was nothing, absolutely nothing. The emptiness was everywhere yet there was no room. “Aiko!” He was frantic, the only thing running through his mind was that he had to find someone.

Kazuki was losing his balance and it seemed like his only scene was touch yet there was nothing and he had the feeling that everything will just end. End in a terrifying blackness that would never lift.

“Help,” he cried out softly as he stumbled to the floor. He was alone and there was absolutely nothing, and god, were the walls closing in on him?

Suddenly he felt a pair of hands touch his shoulders and he jolt. He reached up and grabbed the arms tightly, wrapping himself around the body. There was something, someone to cling to. And so he did. He heard something but there we no words he could understand. All he could understand was the need to find ground and to stay with this person. Kazuki clung to the person, breathes still labored and hands shaking. Did he hear a whimper? Was that him or someone else?

The hands covered were wrapped around Kazuki and he greedily drowned himself in the feeling of contact. He wasn’t alone, there was something else, and it seemed like the air returned to the room.

Thankfully, lights soon flooded the room and Kazuki wanted to absorb all the light that was there and more. Once his vision came back, so did his hearing. Kazuki heard his name being called in a worried tone, someone murmuring on the other side of the room, and someone whispering to him.

“It's okay,” the voice said. “I got you, there’s no reason to panic. You’re safe, Kazuki.”

Kazuki looked up, thinking he will see Akio holding him like last time. Instead, he saw Kaoru looking down at him, arms wrapped protectively around him. Over Kaoru’s shoulder, Kazuki was able to see Aiko rushing over to them. Tamaki seemed to have been soothing a frightened Haruhi with Hikaru aiding by rubbing her back.

“Shh, Kazuki,” Kaoru said, rubbing the back of Kazuki’s head. Only then did Kazuki realize he had been mumbling nonsense in a quiet, sobbing voice. He himself wasn’t crying, but the dread was there.

“Kazu-chan,” Aiko said, kneeling down between the boys, rubbing her brother's back. “It's okay, take deep breaths. Try counting down.”

“Counting down?” Kaoru asked.

“Start from a thousand, go down by seven each time,” she said. “A trick we learned to keep your mind off things.”

Kazuki nodded, placing his forehead on Kaoru’s shoulder, murmuring numbers to himself. As he concentrated on the numbers, he also allowed himself to focus on Kaoru. His soft smell that reminded him of morning grass that still had dew on it from the previous night. He allowed his breathing to sync with Kaoru's like they were a single being. The twin’s hands were soft but still had the sort of roughness to them, which was such a weird thing Kazuki wasn’t sure of it.

By the time Kazuki got to seven hundred seventy-six, he was able to release himself from Kaoru. He kept his head down, looking at his still slightly shaking fingers. Pulling away from Kaoru made Kazuki feel like he was disconnecting himself from the embodiment of protection, but there was no way he was going to let himself cower in Kaoru’s arms.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “I am fine now.” He looked back over at the others, who had calmed Haruhi who had been silently tearing up. “I-Is she afraid of the dark too?”

“Thunder,” Kaoru answered, not even bothering to look in her direction. All his attention, all his concern was pointed directly at Kazuki. “Can you stand?” Kazuki nodded hesitantly and Kaoru assisted him on getting to his feet. He stumbled a bit but stood and sighed, noticing the vibration in his pocket. He took out his phone and answered it.

“Hello?” he spoke into it.

“Kazuki!” came a worried shout it coming from Sayuri. “Please tell em you are alright? You aren't by yourself are you?”

“I’m okay, I’m in the club room.”

A relieved sigh was heard. “Good. I panicked for a second when the lights went out and thought you might be by yourself.”

“Thank you, Sayuri,” Kazuki said. Sayuri said that she was on her way and hung up the phone. Kazuki looked over to Kaoru, who still had a worried expression.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Kazuki said, giving a weak smile to Kaoru. “I’m fine now.”

“Your hands are still shaking.” Kaoru pointed to Kazuki’s still trembling hands. Kaoru looked out one of the large windows before taking Kazuki’s hand with his own. “Come on.”

“Wait,” Kazuki protested but didn’t put up a fight to resist. Kaoru interlocked their fingers and he lead Kazuki out the door. Aiko asked where they were going, or could it have been Hikaru, but neither of them looked back. Kazuki allowed himself to be guided by Kaoru, through the hallways, down the stairs, and to another universe where only they existed.

They burst through to door to be greeted by the rain and the wet courtyard. Kazuki looked over to Kaoru when he felt their hands lose one another. Kaoru was busying himself with taking off his shoes and socks as he looked up at Kazuki.

“I wouldn’t want wet sock, right?” Kaoru said with a grin. He stuffed his socks in his shoes and walked out from the overhead passage they were under. He walked into the wet grass, allowing the rain to fall down on him. He walked to a decent size puddle and jumped right into the center, splashing the water everywhere with an excited shout.

“God, this feel so good,” Kaoru declared, stomping his foot. “Come one, Kazuki, Don’t let me enjoy this by myself.”

Kazuki felt his body lighten like he breathed in helium instead of oxygen on accident. He discarded his shoes, socks, and blazer with much less care than Kaoru did. The rain immediately started to soak his shirt, but he didn’t care because he was landing feet first in a large puddle beside Kaoru. Kazuki kicked the water up, making it splash onto Kaoru, who gave a small shriek.

“Don’t do that,” Kaoru gave with joyful whine.

“Does it even matter?” Kazuki laughed at the end, throwing his head back to have the raindrops fall onto his face. The two played around the courtyard, doing a rain dance that only they knew the steps of. Kaoru slipped at one point, but neither of them seemed to have cared enough to make a deal about it.

If it wasn’t for the rain coming down on him, Kazuki would have thought that gravity wasn’t working, because right then, he felt completely weightless. All his troubles and fears had left to somewhere else, sparing him for the time being.

Kaoru and Kazuki spent an eternity out there, but to any other person, it would have only been about ten minutes. The students were a bit tired from running about and both had stains on them from falling more than once in the slippery grass. They walked themselves back towards the walkway, shielding themselves from the rain.

Kaoru sighed, running his fingers through his bangs, pushing them out of his face. Kazuki let his hair out and did the same, tucking it behind his ears.

“That was fun,” Kaoru said, turning his head to look at Kazuki.

Kazuki nodded in agreement. “Now all I want to do it take a hot shower, eat something sweet, and lay in bed with Qin.”

“Who’s Qin?” Kaoru asked, sitting up straighter, a confused expression forming on his face. He sounded shocked and a bit harsh.

“My rabbit,” Kazuki said unsurely, not getting why Kaoru was so offended by it.

Realization dawned upon Kaoru and he slowly bobbed his head. “Oh, that makes sense.”

They sat in silence beside each other, watching the rain as it calmed. Kazuki took Kaoru’s hand once more, still not looking at him.

“Thank you for that.”

“No problem.” Kaoru voice was calm, genuine. “Maybe next time we could look for ducks.”

“That’ll be nice.” With the smell of rain in the air, the sound of it hitting the ground and Kaoru’s breathing, the feeling his soaked clothes clinging to him along with Kaoru’s warm hand in his, Kazuki let out a sigh. It really was nice.

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG, how in the world did this chapter get so long? It is almost 13,00 words, which is crazy. I hope you people like it, we get to finish the story of Shigure and more. Because this one was so long, it may take a bit longer for the next one. Thank you my lovelies for the support, please enjoy

It had been a week after Yumi had disappeared and Riyoma was acting different. Not different in a way as if he was finally taking control of things or that he was giving Shigure a second chance, different in a bad way. Instead of locking himself in his studies, he spent more time in his own bedroom and in common rooms, acting like, what Shigure heard a staff member say, a madman. He was firing more staff in blind rages if they messed up the smallest things and many of them began to leave on their own. He seemed to always be angered, eyes crazily search for something Shigure wasn't sure if. Shigure hid himself away in his room, spending too much time alone. He would set up his stuffed animals and talk with them, trying to make the time go faster than it was.

Shigure made the mistake of crossing Riyoma in the kitchen one night. It took the boy, who was nine, about to turn ten, one sniff to smell the crude scent of alcohol in the air. Blood shot eyes met Shigure's tired ones, making it so he couldn't move.

"What are you doing here?" Riyoma slurred, stepping closer to Shigure.

Shigure took a step back, wanting to keep as much space between him and his grandfather. "I just w-wanted to eat."

"No, why are you alive?" It came out harsh and jagged, like a splintering stone being chucked right at Shigure. He didn't know what to say, was there anything to say?

"Why did that depressed bitch bring such a disgusting, intolerable good for nothing into this house!?"

Riyoma was always mad at Shigure, that was something the boy had to live with. He's grandfather made it clear, there was nothing that Shigure could do to fix it. His ultimate crime was living in of itself.

"I'm sorry," Shigure cried. "I'm sorry for making you upset, Daddy. I don't me-"

"Don't call me that!"

A glass of alcohol came flying at Shigure, falling and breaking right by his feet. Shigure let out a scream of terror, his cries more labored with heaving sobs. He looked from the shards of glass to his grandfather, unable to tell which one was more dangerous. For some reason, he persisted.

"I-I said I'm s-sorry. Please forgive me, I don't wan-want to make you mad." Tears were running endlessly down his face, his hands holding each other so tightly he was hurting himself. But nothing was as painful as the reality Shigure was living.

Riyoma marched over to Shigure, charging towards him like a bull coming to harm whoever was stupid enough to anger it. Shigure coward in fright when Riyoma rose his hand, knowing that he was without a doubt going to be harmed that night. For the painful strike to be let down on him, bruising him and sending him into the glass onto the floor.

But it didn't come.

Shigure looked up, vision blurred with tears. Riyoma's fist was clenched by his side, making no move to make contact with Shigure.

"I can't hit you," Riyoma mumbled, more to himself than Shigure. He slapped his forehead with a heavy sigh. "I can't hit her kid."

After all the alcohol and nights yelling at the walls, with all the pressure finally breaking him, Riyoma crumbled. He fell to his knees with a heaving sigh, grabbing a hand full of his hair. "I can't bring myself to hurt the child she loved so much." A tear ran down his cheek, the first Shigure had ever seen him shed. "I'm sorry, Tohru, I failed you."

Shigure just stared at Riyoma, not sure what to make of it. The man he had coward under for years, actively avoided, who had been so cold to Shigure that he thought he would never be able to like, was now in front of him, pleading for forgiveness on his knees, tears slowly escaping his eyes. Even after Riyoma yelled at him to leave, Shigure stood there, taking in what he didn't know would be his last memory of his grandfather, the broken, jagged man who finally fell.

How would one explain to a child that they had been sold? It wasn't something someone would think would be necessary to know in life, but no one knows what will happen to them. Maybe on the other side, how would a child who just turned ten years old react when being told that he was sold? That their parents didn't want them anymore and they were now nothing more than a way for people to profit off of sickos who wanted to get their hands on a child.

Shigure was in denial. He kept telling the strange men that took him from his house that there was a mistake, no one would ever sell him. Even if he hated him, Riyoma would never do that. The strangers didn't explained more than that, only telling Shigure to shut up or they will make him. Shigure pressed on and soon the world went black.

Relief wasn't exactly the feeling that went through Shigure when he was bought. Maybe conditions would be better than how they were for the past month. He wouldn't have to share a cold room with other kids, nights filled with sobs and hushed cries. The mean men wouldn't yell at Shigure when he did something wrong. But he was so clueless of what his new home would be like. The thought that it could be a lot worse than where he was now was always in his mind, but he didn't want to think about it.

For the most part, Shigure was happy in his new house. The place itself wasn't as big as where he grew up in, but he could tell that the man living there was doing better than most. The man cared for Shigure more than any other male figure in the boy's life. He made sure Shigure had toys and got to play with the dogs whenever Shigure asked. It made the boy feel happy, knowing that someone cared about him. The only thing that bothered Shigure was when he would be watching a movie or simply laying down and the man would insist on touching him.

It always made Shigure feel weird and he didn't like the feeling of someone touching him like that, but he didn't want to be a problem to the only person who had showed him kindness in what felt like forever. So Shigure would try to block out the man's words and not move when he slowly moved his hands under Shigure's shirt and in his pants. When the man asked if Shigure liked it, the boy would mutely nod, never wanting to cause a problem by lying.

The true problem was when Shigure woke up one day and noticed that the man wasn't moving. It wasn't odd, usually Shigure did wake up before the other, but this time was different. The boy shook the man repeatedly, calling out for a response, but wasn't given one. Shigure didn't know what to do, so he simply walked out the room to get food from the kitchen so he could eat his breakfast.

Shigure went to check on the man a few more times that day, but he never moved. His face looked a bit pale, but Shigure wasn't going to provoke the man in a way that would later upset him. When night fell and nothing changed, Shigure just shrugged it off, hoping the man was going to feel better in the morning, so he crawled into bed with the man and fell asleep.

By day three, the man started to smell really bad, so Shigure completely avoided the bedroom. He was told when he was first bought that he would stay in the same room as the man, sleeping in the same bed every night, but now it was intolerable for Shigure to do it. He didn't check on the man and instead stayed by the TV most times and played with the dogs, who were acting weird ever since their owner stopped coming out of the room.

Shigure woke to banging on the front door along with the doorbell being ring so frantically it seemed like the person was trying to make a song of the two. The ten year old walked to the front door, opening the door with a yawn.

"Yes?" Shigure asked, rubbing his eye, still tired from staying up late. Without any guidance, there was no one to tell him to go to sleep, which Shigure realized wasn't all that great when alone, but it wasn't too bad.

"Shigure," the man said in confusion.

After looking at the person better, Shigure recognized who it was standing in front of him. It was one of the man's friends. "Hello, Mister Jacob."

"Hey, kid," Jacob greeted back, looking behind the boy into the house, asking if the boy was alone.

Shigure shook his head. "No, Sir is sleeping right now."

"Jesus Christ, now he wants to be asleep." Jacob ran his hand through his hair. "He hasn't picked up his phone all weekend."

"He's been sleeping since Friday," Shigure told the man. "I tried to wake him up, but he wouldn't get up. He really needs to so he can shower, he's starting to stink."

Jacob urgently pushed Shigure to the side as he raced through the house, stomping up the stairs so hard the ceilings almost came down. Shigure went after him, not as much in a rush to go back to the smelly room. By the time Shigure was in the doorway, Jacob was on the phone, talking lowly to the person on the other end. Shigure couldn't understand what he was saying, but he did recognize the foreign tongue he was speaking in was English, he heard Riyoma yelling in it many times before, who always hung up the phone saying 'damn Americans'.

When Jacob noticed Shigure standing there, he placed his hand on the receptor and turned towards him. "Shigure, I need you to get a lot of you stuff, put it in the biggest thing you have, and get in my car."

"Mister Jacob, what is going on?" Shigure asked, taking a step into the room.

"Not now, Shigure."

"But, Mister Jac-"

"I said, not now, Shigure!" Jacob yelled at the boy, causing Shigure to stagger out of the room. In a matter of minutes, Shigure had some toys, his clothes, and the remaining cookies from the kitchen in a suitcase he had found the other day while exploring the house. The boy was busying himself playing with the dogs when Jacob came back down the stairs. Shigure knew that Jacob had the bad habit of running his hands through his hair from the occasions that Jacob had come over. He motioned for Shigure to follow him, which the boy did. Jacob took his suitcase and put it in the back seat of his car, allowing Shiure to sit in the front as they drove away from the house.

Shigure looked back at the building, then back up at Jacob with curious, turquoise eyes. "Mister Jacob, what is going to happen to Sir?"

"Don't worry about it, kid," Jacob said, not looking at the boy. "Hey, why didn't you call anyone?"

Shigure just shrugged. "I didn't want to make Sir mad, he never wants me to use the phone." He looked down at his feet, only then realizing he didn't have shoes on. "I am sorry for arguing with you, Mister Jacob."

"Ah, it's fine." The man sighed. "Honestly, you need to make more of a fuss of things. Talk back, speak your mind, ruffle some feathers." Jacob rubbed Shigure's head this time instead, making a mess of his hair. "Make an uproar, for Jesus Christ, do something. You're always so quiet, sitting and doing nothing. First time I saw you I thought you were one of those damn, freaky life dolls or something."

Shigure shuffled in his seat. "I just don't want to cause problems for people and make them angry." He had caused too many problems before, made people angry too often, and he didn't want to be hurt from it anymore.

The man scoffed, making Shigure look at him. "Wow, a child not wanting to cause problems, that's a first, Shion should learn from you. God, no one cares, cause the whole damn world to get mad, no one will give a shit later. Talk, do something, don't sit idly, you shrimp."

"I don't like shrimp, though."

Jacob laughed, giving the boy a small shove. "There we go. Just keep that up." The man looked down at Shigure with a smirk. "Be your own person, little man, don't let things get you down."

That pep talk Shigure had as he rode away from his second home with a man he had only seen a handful of time as they went down the open road, that talk would be one that will stick with him for years.

Staying with Jacob wasn't that bad. Although Shigure wasn't given as much attention as before, he had his own room and Jacob never touched him like the other man. Shigure did not enjoy that fact the Jacob smoked and he usually went to the backyard whenever the man decided he needed to light up, which was often. But like Jacob recommended, Shigure began voicing his opinion more. He told Jacob when he thought he smoke was going to kill him and how the boy needed certain things.

Instead of allowing Shigure to watch TV all day, Jacob would give the boy work to do.

"Teach yourself something new, 'kay?" he would say, giving Shigure old work books and printouts. Shigure soon became self taught, picking up from where he left off. Yumi wanted to be a teacher, so she did school Shigure a lot. The boy liked to read, too, both manga and novels, which he found online when Jacob allowed him to use his laptop.

The weeks slowly blended into months as Shigure stayed with Jacob. Maybe Jacob enjoyed having the boy, or he just didn't know what to do with the child. It took Jacob until Shigure turned eleven to ask the boy about his past.

"So, you were the son of Riyoma Ren?" Jacob asked, swirling the glass of wine he was drinking.

Shigure sighed as he continued to eat his dinner. "Were you even listening, Mister Jacob? I literally poured out my life story. I was his grandson. He got sick of me and sold me, that's when your friend bought me."

Jacob leaned back in his chair, letting out a sigh. "What will I do with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I had you here for awhile now, don't tell me you thought I was going to keep you forever?"

Shigure did, though. He enjoyed himself there with Jacob. It was nice and calming, he was even going to asked if he could be sent to school the upcoming school year. He had considered the place his home then, not wanting to leave.

"Ugh, don't look like that, shrimp," Jacob said. "It is nice having you around and all, and your cute little singing is adorable, don't get me wrong, but I can't house you forever. To be honest, the only reason I didn't drop you at the nearest orphanage that day is because I was out of my head and I didn't think you were in the right mind to be let out to the world. Besides, hate to tell you this, but you're very being is quite complicated, the illegally sold grandson of the now bankrupt Ren family who was born out of Wedlock." The man shook his head. "You can't tell me that that sentence can't be said without some people raising their brows and calling the police. Shit, even I would get in trouble for housing you for this long without any records."

"Well, I'm sorry I'm such a problem," Shigure spat. "It's not like I chose to be sold or for my parents to not have been married."

"Speaking of your parents, where did this Yuki girl go?"

The question would have hit Shigure harder if he hadn't already thought about it on a regular basis. "I don't know," Shigure mumbled, placing down his fork and looking at his lap. "From what I heard Riyoma yelling about and just what was going on, Yumi ran away with my dad, but not before taking a shit load of money from the family name first."

"Ha!" Jacob slammed his hand down on the table, causing the glasses to shake. "That's gold, wow!"

Shigure just glared at the man. Because of her, the family really was screwed over for good. But that wasn't what Shigure cared about, she could have stolen everything in that whole building, taking everything. Everything and him. Why, why would she just leave him like that? She loved him, she told him that so much, yet she left without giving a goodbye.

"Shigure, huh?" Shion said with a smile. She put down her tea cup and looked at her uncle. "What is she like?"

"A very interesting one, this Shigure," Shion's uncle, Jacob, said with a smirk. "First thing, Shigure is a male."

"Really? I was sure that Shigure was a girl's name."

Jacob gave a shrug. "Hey, that's his name and he's sticking with it. He came from the Ren family, remember them?"

"The one that fell into debt after the death of the head's wife?" Shion question.

Her uncle chuckled. "I congratulate you on your knowledge about this kind of stuff. But, yes, that's the family. To help themselves out financially, they sold him and he got into the hands of a friend of mine. He had a heart attack and I ended up taking care of the child. He's a good kid, had him around for awhile now. I don't need him and I honestly think that my wife would think poorly of me if I kept the little thing any longer." Jacob was newly married and that meant he didn't want much to do with what could get him in trouble while making his new family. "I think you should have him."

Shion stared at her uncle in disbelief. "Wait, so you're trying to give me, the young daughter of the Miyu household, a male servant?"

"Listen, love, this is your chance. I always tell your parents that you want them to stop treating you like a child. You said it yourself, you want you dad to think of you as a possible successor to him."

She nodded. Ever since Shion was little, her mother wanted her to become a model or a fashion designer like her. Shion hated when her parents treated her like a delicate flower. She always wanted to be part of her dad's work, a member of his yakuza. It was rare for a female to be accepted, but Shion always desired a rank in that sort of work.

"And you think having this boy serve me will help?"

"Just think of it. If you are able to control him, you're parents will know you're serious. He isn't a bad kid and I doubt he would do anything too horrible to you other than give you some lip, which is a bit of my fault. Anyways, your parents would see that you are able to have authority over this guy and know that you have a kind of rule over people. You're, what, eleven, twelve?"

"I'm ten and a half," Shion said with a sigh.

"See, you're mature for your age, which is also a good sign." Jacob smiled at her.

Shion thought over what he uncle said. It did sound promising and it could help her show her parents she was serious. "Okay, let me see the boy."

Her uncle grinned and left the room. A moment later he came back in, followed by a boy. The kid came over and stood by Shion. He looked the girl in the eyes, looking at her with the same interested expression.

Shion stood up and walked around him. He was taller than her by a good few inches. His hair was brushed and he was dressed in a simple blue yukata. "You're Shigure?" Shion asked.

He nodded.

"Can you speak?"

"Yes, I can speak," he said in a mocking tone.

"How old are you?"

"Eleven."

"You're giving me a male that's also older than me?" Shion asked her uncle who just shrugged.

"What's you're name?" Shigure asked her.

"I'm Shion."

"You shouldn't be so friendly with him," Jacob said. "He may be you're underling."

"True," Shion said. "So he was raised in a proper house and everything?"

"Yup, he's educated and stuff," Jacob added, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. The kids unanimously curled their nose in disgust. "Fast learner, too."

So she wasn't dealing with an idiot. "I was told that you are, were, part of the Ren family and that you're parents sold you, is that true?"

Shigure didn't answer her, just glared at Jacob for sharing his information with this girl.

"Hello, I'm talking to you," she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I don't need to answer you, you're just a spoiled little girl," Shigure spat back. He already didn't like her, the way she held herself and talked down to him, Shigure didn't want to be anywhere near her.

"Don't act like that just because my parents care enough to actually take care of me when yours sold you."

"You're parents don't care about you. If they did, you wouldn't have to prove anything to them." Shigure had been listening to their conversation, and he could tell that this girl wasn't a good person.

Anger began to boil in Shion. She walked behind the older kid. She then kicked his inner knee, making him lose balance. The restriction from the yukata didn't help him, he ended on falling onto his knees. She took a handful of his hair and pulled it down so he was bent over and looking up at her.

"My parents are idiots and don't know anything," she said to him. "But you don't seem like an idiot, so think about the position you're in at the moment." She looked up and her uncle with a grin. "I think I would take him. He seem like a challenge, but it will only help."

"My name is Shigure, Shigure Ren," Shigure said, staring Shion in the eyes. He wasn't going to back down, he didn't care how much she had yelled at him, there was no way he was going to allow her to strip him of that. He had so many things taken from him, was abandoned by people, there was no way he was going to give up his name. It had been less than a week since he had been with Shion. He didn't like it, and he missed living with Jacob. Shigure thought Shion was far too bossy and her dad wasn't any better. Her dad, being part of the yakuza, was stern and frightening, reminding him too much of his own grandfather. Shigure hadn't met her mom, bit he did not want to.

Shion's scowl only deepened at the response. "I can not have you going around with that name, I have no idea why it wasn't already changed," she mumbled. "You are my subordinate, my servant, meaning you are to obey me." With a stern voice she said, "your name is Kazuki, Ka-zu-ki. Just Kazuki."

"No, it isn't!" Shigure stomped his foot. "And you will not do anything if I don't listen to you because you are just a small, little girl."

Shion's face went red, hands clenched tightly by her side. She wasn't going to hit him, Shigure was sure of it. Instead, she marched over to the door to her room and swung it open. She called out a name and a tall man came into the room. Before Shigure could even make a move to leave, the man took a hold of his arm and was dragging him out the door. Shigure yelled and beat the man's arm in protest, but the man's grip was iron and there was no way Shigure was getting out of it. The man opened the door right across from Shion's, which revealed a dark room. Before he could process what was happening, Shigure was thrown in and the door was shut in front of his face.

It was dark. Pitch black. There wasn't even light coming from under the door, making it impossible to see a single thing.

"Shion!" Shigure yelled, finding the door and banging on it like a caged animal. "Shion, let me out of here!" He pounded on and kicked the door, trying his best to break it down and only accomplished hurting his hand. Shigure couldn't hear anything from the other side, not sure if it was sound proof or the girl left.

Shigure banged on the door for a millennium, screaming the girl's name and all the curses he knew until his throat was raw. His shoulder and foot ached like crazy and he thought he might have broken a finger by hitting the door so hard. Finally, the tears started pooling in his eyes as he slid down the door. The darkness was taking its tole on Shigure, the blindness utterly terrifying him. He felt like he was consumed by nothingness, making it impossible for him to escape. Could he walk into the black void for eternity or were the walls crushing him at that moment? The thoughts ran rapid in his mind, causing his breath to leave frantically, too frantically. He was taking up all the clean air in the small room and there was none left. He was choking, he couldn't breathe and there was nothing left in the room.

Shigure turned around and hit the door again. "Shion, please, I am sorry. Please let me out, I am sorry. Don't leave me alone, please don't leave me alone. I will be good, I promise to listen. Please, Shion."

Sometime close to a moment or hour later, the door opened. Shigure didn't even care about the light blinding him, he wanted all the light in the world then. When he was able to focus, he saw Shion standing in front of the door. She stood solid, unfazed by the traumatized boy infront of her.

"What is your name?" she asked coldly.

The boy sniffled and felt the last part of him slip away. "My name is Kazuki, just Kazuki."

Kazuki learned that the more he argued, the harder thing got for him, so he tried to keep it to the minimum. Over time, he was learning things he thought he would never have to do. Swimming, martial arts, posture, and more, Kazuki truly was becoming someone new. He was supposed to be Shion's butler, both for simple hand serves and defense if something were to happen to her, that is what she decided was going to be his role. If she was able to prove to her parents, mostly her father, that she could be a controlling figure, she thought that he would allow her to join his faction of the yakuza.

When Kazuki decided he wanted to be problematic or try to argue with her, Shion had little hesitation in threatening to put him in the closet. She was never going to physically harm Kazuki, she didn't want that, but she did not know the psychological damage it inflicted on Kazuki by punishing him in the way that she did. It wasn't long before Kazuki became utterly petrified of the dark, not even daring to sleep in his own bedroom without a light on. Just the mention of the dark, enclosed space snapped Kazuki into obedience with stunning speed.

It took some time for Kazuki to become accustomed to his new life. He would wake before Shion, shower, dress himself in his appointed attire, and wait by Shion's door. If he had to wait anymore than half an hour, he had permission to enter her room. Throughout the day, he would do his training, which was the only time he was allowed to leave Shion. He was supposed to be with her or within calling range at all time unless given permission to leave. He would do his studying when she was, although she was on a higher level than him.

Shion had a private tutor come by twice a week, which brought along another girl. This girl was the only daughter of the Hiro house and seemed to always be smiling. She had wavy brown hair that bounced with her and shining blue eyes that reminded Kazuki of the ocean. Her name was Aiko, and to Kazuki, Lady Aiko.

Aiko was a peculiar child in Kazuki's opinion. She always smiled at him and would try to start a conversations with him, and sometimes he would talk with her if Shion wasn't moody. Even though she was younger than him, she would always call him 'Kazu-chan', which the boy didn't mind that much. Even though they were on different social levels, Aiko seemed to think they were just the same.

With all the rules and regulation Kazuki had to abide by, he thought it would be completely horrible, but that wasn't the case. Things changed when Kazuki was busying himself with his trainer and saw another kid in the room. A blonde who kept joking with the man he was sparring with. By the way the blonde's opponent looked, Kazuki could tell that the other boy was undoubtedly trash talking him.

"Who is that?" Kazuki asked his instructor when he was taking a break, wiping his sweaty head with a towel.

"Him?" she said, pointing to the blonde. "That's Izumi."

"What is he doing here?"

The instructor gave Kazuki a raised brow. "You haven't seen him around before? He works here, just like you. Well, not exactly like you, I would say." She took a sip from her bottle. "His mom is a maid here, and he works as part of the staff to help with their bills. He did a lot for Shion before you got here, but he wasn't her personal butler. He's been here for about a year or so, I think he's thirteen, fourteen tops. He spares for his own fun, he gets a discount or something like that." She turned to the blonde and the other instructor. "Yo, Izumi."

The blonde, Izumi, turned towards her, giving her a smile. "Yeah?"

"Come here for a second."

Izumi made his way over to Kazuki and his instructor. With a closer view, Kazuki was able to see more of him. He was tall for sure, but not that big. He had a short haircut, shorter than Kazuki's, and his bangs stayed out of his eyes, which were a stunning grey. Kazuki could tell he wasn't pure Japanese, his hair mixed with his nose being a bit too broad to come someone who wasn't mixed in some way.

"Izumi, this is Kazuki," the instructor said, gesturing towards the younger boy.

"Ah," Izumi said with a smile, nodding his head. "I heard the name, you're Shion's guy, right?"

"Saying it like that sounds weird," Kazuki said. "But I am her...personal butler, yeah."

"Cool." Izumi extended a hand. "Nice to meet you."

Kazuki took it in his own, giving it a good shake. "You too. How come I never seen you around?"

"I'm at school a lot, I come here at odd hours. You look a bit young to be a personal assistant."

Kazuki shrugged, he was only twelve. "Well, you look young to be on the staff."

Izumi scoffed. "Aren't we both, man, aren't we both."

Kazuki and Izumi became closer as time went on. Kazuki would go find Izumi in his off time, and Izumi made an effort to come a bit more often. Kazuki enjoyed hearing stories Izumi had about life and school as much as Izumi liked messing with Kazuki and challenging him. Kazuki gave small explanations over time of why he never left the manor and his life before then. Shion did start blaming Izumi for the antics Kazuki started to do at times, but she never really got between them. Even though she was cold at times, she allowed him some slip ups if her dad didn't know about it. With Izumi around, Kazuki became less moody and did pick a handful of thing up from the older boy. With all the time they spent together, it was inevitable that on Kazuki's fourteenth birthday he confessed to liking Izumi.

Izumi was two years older than Kazuki, and also thought that Kazuki was a bit unsure of things. He had limited contact with people, meaning he wouldn't be sure if he truly liked Izumi. Kazuki was relentless though, trying his best to convince Izumi that he knew himself, his heart, and was positive that Izumi was the one he loved.

"Are you sure about that, Zuzu?" Izumi asked as they sat in Kazuki's bedroom.

"Yes, Izumi, I'm positive," Kazuki said, holding Izumi's hand. "You are the person that makes me feel so happy. My life has been so shitty at times and it is really hard to have to go through everything, but I am able to go through it because I have you. If it wasn't for you, I would have given up a long time ago." Kazuki felt tears stinging his eyes. "Ever since my mother left me, I never felt like I was truly loved by anyone. But the way you talk to me, you care about me, it makes me feel like I am worth something."

"Because you are worth something," Izumi said with a sigh. "You are worth so much, so don't think otherwise. Even if people are rude and mean to you, know that you're human and are loved. And you are special to me, since the day I met you, you were something completely new, Zuzu."

"Can you please stop calling me that," Kazuki said with a laugh even though he was annoyed, a tear escaping his eye. "Shit," Kazuki mumbled, wiping away the tear with the heel of his wrist.

Izumi moved Kazuki's hand and allowed himself to brush away the tears. "It's okay, Kazuki." Izumi looked into Kazuki teary, turquoise eyes, his own gentle. He cupped Kazuki's cheek in his hand as he leaned in and softly kissed Kazuki. The soft touch felt like lightning to Kazuki. He could feel every nerve in his body buzzing yet he remained still.

After pulling away from the kiss, Izumi took Kazuki's hand in his. "I will be your boyfriend, Kazuki, we can try this out."

Kazuki smiled, trying his best not to blush as hard as he already was.

Not too much changed after Kazuki's proclamation that night. They acted much the same as he did before, messing with a few of the maids, sparing together when they could, and eating with one another. They kept it between themselves, not ever allowing it to slip out. It was mainly Kazuki's idea. He had so much of his life out there, controlled by others, but this relationship, it was going to be for him and Izumi, not for anyone else to know.

By fifteen, Kazuki didn't think much would change. He had been Shion's butler for over four years then, barely ever making a fuss over things anymore. She had matured too, not being as bratty at times, but was still stern with Kazuki. They had an understanding relationship, which took much time to form. Kazuki was still caught up with his studies thanks to Izumi, who he was still in a relationship with then. It was far from a normal one, but they adjusted to each other's life and it was nice for the both of them. They had been intimate on several occasions, even going all the way once or twice. Kazuki accepted his life at the Miyu house, and surely didn't expect it to end the way it did.

Kazuki was sitting in the room with Aiko and Shion, it was right after their tutor left and Shion excused herself to go to the bathroom.

"Kazu-chan, can I ask you a question?" Aiko asked, kicking her feet.

"Of course, Lady Aiko," Kazuki said. "What is it?"

Aiko looked extremely uneasy, like she was uncomfortable with what she was going to ask. "Is it true that you were... bought?"

Kazuki kept his composure, although the question sparked deep dread and anger inside him. How could she have known, no one outside the family should have known that. "What makes you think that?"

Aiko sighed looking at the door to see if Shion was going to come in. "My dad wanted me to ask you."

Kazuki raised a brow at Aiko, not understanding what was going on. He would be lying if he said he didn't like Aiko, he actually thought she was far better than Shion, but her asking him was so unlike her. "I'm sorry, Lady Aiko, but I am not going to answer that question. If Mister Hiro would like to come and speak to either Mistress Shion or Mister Miyu, I can tell my Mistress he is interested."

Kazuki didn't think that it would happen, but it did. The next day, Shion told him to go to one of the rooms on the first floor. Kazuki was suspicious of why he was being directed to go, especially since Shion looked so out of her element, like something horrible was happening. Kazuki did as he was told and went to the room. Sitting there was Aiko's dad, Mister Ryuu Hiro.

Kazuki stood by the table the man was sitting at, drinking tea. "Good evening, Mister Hiro," Kazuki said. He had met the man long ago and had several encounters with him, but this was his first time being with him privately.

"Kazuki," Ryuu said with a smile. "Hello, come sit down."

Kazuki was a bit hesitant, but sat down nonetheless, not sure of the circumstances at the moment.

"Don't look so rigid, I won't hurt you," Ryuu declared with a teasing laugh. "I just wanted to talk."

"About what, Mister Hiro?" Kazuki asked.

"You can call me Ryuu if you'd like."

Kazuki bit his lip slightly. "I would prefer Mister Hiro." Shion had long drill how to speak to others into Kazuki's head, and just the thought of being so informal made Kazuki feel like Shion will get mad at him.

"That is fine." Ryuu leaned in a bit closer. "I want to talk about you, Kazuki."

Kazuki's heart rate spiked for a second. This was bad, he knew it was. The moment that attention was focused on him, things will fall apart. He was just a servant now, the nameless butler of Shion Miyu, so why would this man suddenly be concerned about Kazuki?

"Such as?" Kazuki asked.

"Simple thing, your family, your interest, hobbies."

The thought of his family made Kazuki want to bolt out the room right then and there. He felt cornered at the moment. Was he even allowed to talk about his family, what would Shion say? Kazuki had a feeling that if he let a word of the truth slip, he would be taken straight to the closet he dread and had avoided for months.

"You don't need to panic, Kazuki," Ryuu said, seemingly reading the boy's mind. "You can say anything, I already talked to your mistress." Ryuu reached across the table to touch Kazuki, but Kazuki pulled away first, jumping out of his seat.

"Can I bring Izumi?" were the only words Kazuki was able to get out. Why was this happening, what could have possibly made this happen? Was Kazuki in trouble, were the Miyus? Kazuki didn't even wait for a response, he was already out the door.

Kazuki called out Izumi's name, rushing down the hall. It felt so weird, he was always told to not speak of it, of the strange man, Jacob, Yumi, Riyoma, Kazuki was constantly told to not let the names leave his mouth, but now he was being pressured, being told to do just that.

Izumi found Kazuki not too long after the younger boy left the room. Kazuki immediately ran up to Izumi, pushing himself against the blonde in a hug. Izumi hugged the boy protectively, like he could shield him from all the horrors and demons around him.

Izumi rubbed Kazuki's head as he asked, "what's wrong, Kazuki?"

"I don't know what to do," Kazuki choked. "I don't know if I am supposed to tell him anything and I don't want to mess up and, and go back into the closet." Kazuki began to sob slightly. "I, I don't want to go into the closet, Izumi."

"Shhh, Kazuki," Izumi cooed. "No one is going into the closet, you're a good boy, okay?" Kazuki nodded into Izumi's chest. "Now, who is asking you questions?"

"Lady Aiko's dad," Kazuki answered softly. "He wanted to know if I was bought and now he is here, and I am not sure of what I am supposed to say."

Izumi told Kazuki to tell him where the man was and the boy lead his boyfriend to the room. Riyoma was still sitting where he was previously, not looking as if he moved an inch.

"Hello, Mister Hiro," Izumi said calmly with a bow, Kazuki standing off behind him to his side.

The man nodded. "Good day to you, Izumi."

"My apologizes for prying, but what is it that you would like to know about my colleague, Kazuki?" The way Izumi spoke to other people always shocked Kazuki. This was the same teasing guy that made it his life goal to make Kazuki flustered, but then he would change into this proper, formal butler that seemed way too good at his job.

"Well, he has caught my interest," Ryuu said. "To put it simply, I would like to know if this is the person I believe him to be."

"And who do you think that is?" Izumi continued.

Ryuu let out a chuckle. "And here I thought I'd be the one asking questions. He could have been heir to the Ren family, Shigure Ren."

Kazuki immediately stiffened behind Izumi. He hadn't even told Izumi his real last name, he didn't like thinking about it. That boy was gone, broken and died away long ago. The last time he heard the name was when he was reunited with Reiji around a year ago when his older brother was engaged with Shion.

The tension in the room was deserted by Izumi letting out a surprised gasp, which was severely dramatize. "He last name was Ren?" the blonde asked, coming closer to Ryuu. "He never told me that, he hated talking about it. He had long ago told me about Shigure, though."

"So I was right?" Ryuu asked with a sigh.

Izumi reached over the table and picked one of the cookies from the plate. "Yeah, which is surprising, no one even mentioned the name, well, no one important. There was this one kid though, I thought I was going to have to kill because he was all over Kazuki. He is my man, so there was going to be a problem."

"Izumi," Kazuki gasped in surprised, confused of why he was telling the man everything and for embarrassing him. Izumi turned around and gestured for Kazuki to come over. Reluctantly, the black haired male did, sitting back down in the chair he had previously bolted out of.

Izumi leaned down and whispered to Kazuki, "it will be okay, trust me."

"Mister Hiro," Kazuki said, trying to be as composed as he could. "Why do you want to know who I am?"

Ryuu laced his fingers together, resting his chin on them. "I will be frank with you, Kazuki, you seemed like the kind that has been deceived a lot in life. I want to take you away from this place."

"Excuse me?" Kazuki questioned, doubting his ears were working properly.

"Aiko told me about you on multiple occasions throughout the years. The more she told me about your life and your living condition, the more I felt like I could not just sit idly as a child's life was stolen away from them. Many people think that just because they have money and power the world should listen to them." Ryuu shook his head in disapproval. "And I see that you are a victim of this. Shion has been using you for her own gain, which I find is selfish and intolerable, and I want to help you out of it."

The way Izumi looked at Kazuki made the younger boy feel like he wasn't the only one thinking his ears weren't functioning. This man, he had only talked to a handful of times wanted to take him in, to allow him to leave the life outside the tailcoat and ties.

"What's the catch?" Kazuki asked before he could think it through. It was true, there was always a downside, always something that was to gain from things. Kazuki knew that this man wasn't going to allow him to just go with him without there being some sort of way that the Ryuu will benefit from it. Was he going to us Kazuki as a way to broadcast to the world that Ryuu was a good man, or was someone he didn't like have connections to the Ren family and Ryuu wanted to bring them down by showing how horrid the Ren family was by making Kazuki tell people what he went through in like because of his grandfather. There was something, anything, there had to be.

"There is none," Ryuu said. "Kazuki, I am a kind man, not trying to toot my own horn. I donate to charities and hold fundraisers for the homeless. I want to do this because I don't want to know I can help someone and then not take the chance." Ryuu looked sad for a moment. "My wife passed away some time ago and the house just doesn't feel the same. My son, Shou, is so busy and that leaves Aiko with so little. I can't bring myself to marry again, but I feel like there needs to change things around. To bring more life back into the house. Aiko seems to already like you a lot, so it didn't seem like a bad idea to make you part of the family."

Kazuki was speechless, this man wanted to adopt him.

"That's sweet," Izumi hummed, "and very generous of you." The blonde looked over to Kazuki, who was looking into his lap, uncertain of what to do. "Kazuki is horrible at decision making, so you'll have to give him some time."

"You seem very close with him," Ryuu said with a smile.

Izumi smiled. "Of course, I care a great deal about him, so I'm pretty good at knowing what is going on in his little head." Izumi put his hand on Kazuki's head, moving it around and looking down very intensely. "Yup, I am picking up signals of confusion, shock, oh, I think happiness, and worry," Izumi said with a nod, like he was reading Kazuki's mind.

"I understand," Ryuu said. "Please take as much time as you would like to think it over." He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to Kazuki, who took it from him without a word. They gave their partings and Ryuu left.

Izumi moved to where Ryuu was previously sitting and sat down with a sigh. "That was so random."

"Why did you tell him everything?" Kazuki asked.

"Because he wanted to know." he said it was a matter of fact tone, like it was the only practical thing. "I don't think Shion would allow this to happen without her say so. Besides, even if we weren't supposed to, who is the one that did all the talking?"

Kazuki's eyes widened in realization when he caught onto what Izumi did. If they really were going to get in trouble, Izumi would be the one that gets it, not Kazuki. "But w-"

"Stop asking so many question, Zuzu." Izumi pushed the plate with the remaining cookies on it towards Kazuki. "Have something sweet, you know you want one."

Kazuki took one of the cookies and slowly nibbled on it. He didn't know what he wanted.

Over the course of a week, Kazuki contemplated what he should do. Leaving felt weird and wrong but he also felt like there was a life he could have and he wasn't living it. Izumi made it more than clear that he wanted Kazuki to leave, and the younger boy felt hurt by it at first. The blonde kept trying to explain to him that he was not meant to live this life, and that he only wanted the best for his boyfriend. After much time of thinking about it and hours staying up contemplating what could have been and what maybe, Kazuki called Ryuu

Izumi and Kazuki stood outside the door a the common room. Kazuki's hand was holding Izumi's tightly, it seeming like the only thing keeping him grounded. They knew what was on the other side of the door, three people patiently waiting and Kazuki's future

"If you end up leaving, just make sure you give me a proper goodbye," Izumi said with a forced smile as he turned towards Kazuki.

"Don't act like that," Kazuki said, not trusting himself to stay strong if Izumi was going to start getting sappy. His boyfriend had already held him the whole night before.

"And smile more, even if it isn't for me."

"Sure, sure." Kazuki rolled his eyes, not being able to look at Izumi.

"And I know this is so, so selfish, but promise that you will come and see me at least once." The blonde's hand stayed to shake in Kazuki's, the the younger boy knew one of them were going to lose it.

"Izumi, please stop bein-"

Izumi put his hands on either side of Kazuki's cheek, lifting his face so they were looking into each other's eyes. It was rare to see Izumi upset, so the teariness of his eyes made Kazuki want to cry himself. "Kazuki, please. Whether you remain here with me or go off to live in a gold mansion, I need to know that you are happy." Izumi's voice began to shake. "Because you are one of the best things that have ever happened to me and I'm okay with you going if that is what fate has for you. To be honest, you have lived a life that wasn't meant for you."

"Izumi, plea-"

"No, Kazuki. We both know that this is what you deserve after everything you have been through. But please, please promise me that you will somehow tell me you're happy. Whether it's within the next month or decade, please promise me. I won't be able to live if I don't know you're happy."

"Okay," Kazuki said, staring into Izumi's sad, grey eyes. "I promise."

Kazuki sniffled. "But I'm not sure if I'll even leave. Shion said something about a contract and I'm not sure about it."

"It's fine," Izumi said. "Just put your name on it after reading it carefully." Izumi gave Kazuki a peck on the cheek before one on the lips. "Now go into that room and finally be in control of your life. You got this, Zuzu."

"I freaking hate you," Kazuki said with a laugh. He may just have to strangle Izumi.

"I love you, too," the blonde said.

Kazuki nodded, and turned his back to enter the room. He looked back once more before closing the door to see Izumi smiling widely at him, looking as goofy as ever.

Ryuu, Aiko, Shion, and Kazuki set a contract that night. The Hiro family was to make no mention of their knowledge about the Miyus' connections or knew about of human trafficking. The Hiros were not allowed to make any sort of contact with the Miyus until the Miyus did so first. Kazuki was not to tell anyone about his connection to Shion or Jacob, or how he was treated beforehand. If anyone were to figure out about Kazuki, he was allowed to breach the contract and to come see Shion immediately so her family could deal with the problem. Also, it was clearly written out that Ryuu was to buy Kazuki from Shion, to make it so she should not be the only one going down if the human trafficking issue was brought up. She sugar coated it as compensation money because they were taken away her servant for over four years, but everyone knew what it was. Ryuu did gain a son, but the others, kids all younger than sixteen, did lose something that night when their pens left the paper.

Aiko lost her life long friend.

Shion lost her way to prove her worth to her family and a servant she did care about, although she would never say it aloud.

Kazuki lost connection to his lover, a sense of belonging, and the feeling of structure in his life.

Out of every hardship Kazuki had faced in life, it was surprising that readjusting to the role of the son of a upperclass man was hard. His bedroom always felt too big to be practical with only one person sleeping in it, not being expected to do much, and having people listen to him, it all felt so odd and surreal.

Sitting still was always hard for Kazuki, too. He would go for runs around the property nearly every day, being gone for a least an hour. It kept him busy, being that he didn't have to follow around and worry about anyone anymore. He had too much free time it was odd and he didn't really know what to do with himself.

Kazuki once came inside after finishing a run when he heard yelling. Out of habit, he headed to where it was coming from, to see Shou. His older brother Shou was shouting at a maid who looked about ready to cry.

"Hey," Kazuki said, trying to downplay the aggravation in his voice. "What's going on here?"

Shou looked over at Kazuki, giving the younger guy an annoyed look. Shou never liked Kazuki. It was Ryuu's idea to not tell his son the reason in which Kazuki was 'adopted', which everyone could tell bothered Shou in a way.

"It doesn't concern you, Kazuki," Shou said. "But if you must know, she is messing things up again." Shou directed his attention back to the frightened maid, as if Kazuki wasn't' there in the first place. "Like I said, I needed the main room cleaned and prepared for guest, not the tiny little sitting rooms no one cares about."

"I'm sorry," the maid apologized, bowing.

"If you are, then fix it, and do it quickly."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Kazuki shouted, getting both of their attention. "That is no way to speak to her, there's no reason to act like that."

"That's her job." Shou rolled his eye. "If she can't do that much, then she is better off leaving."

"How could you say that?" Kazuki spat, anger boiling in him. "She, along with the rest of the staff, works very hard to make sure everything goes well. Just because she messes up a bit does not mean she is useless. You would barely be able to function without her and the rest keeping everything working." Why did people feel like it was okay with treating others like trash because they are not on the same level? Kazuki knew first hand how hard it was to balance things, and Shou would never know the struggle in the way he did.

Shou glared at Kazuki, who match his stare just as harshly. There was no way this guy was going to push him around. The elder guy clicked his tongue and told the maid to get things done before walking away.

Kazuki walked over to the maid with a smile. "I'm sorry for that."

"No, no," she said, frantically waving her hands. "He is right, I should make sure I am doing my job right. I am kind of an airhead at times." She gave a polite smile. "But thank you very much for that."

"No problem what's so ever," Kazuki respond. "What is your name?"

"Matilda," she said with a polite bow.

Kazuki nodded his head. "Well, Matilda, lets go clean the main room."

* * *

"And you are going to make sure he is fed properly, everyday?" Kazuki asked, holding Qin close to him like he was a precious treasure.

The maid, Matilda, laugh and nodded her head. "Yes, I will. You gave me a very specific list of things to do, I don't think that I will be able to forget."

"And you won't let him outside by himself. You can't even turn you back on him or he may disappear."

"I don't think he would want to leave you." She reached out her hands, gesturing for Kazuki to give her the rabbit. "But you are going to have to leave him."

Kazuki pressed his lips together, holding Qin just a bit tighter. He was supposed to be leaving with Aiko so they could fly to the beach for their trip with the host club. A total of four days and three nights, and just the thought of being away from Qin that long was agonizing.

"You live him with me everyday for school," Matilda pushed on. "Just think of it as an extended school day." When she noticed that Kazuki was not moving, she gentle grabbed the animal and took him from Kazuki's hold. Kazuki tried to protest, but she wouldn't let him. "I know you love Qin, but you have to go. He will be in good care and I will send you pictures on a regular basis."

"But, but."

"Go on," the maid said with a laugh, picking up Kazuki's suitcase by its handle with her other hand and passing him the handle. "We are are going to be alright, right, Qin?" She looked down at the rabbit who sniffed the air. She took it's paw in her hand and moved it so it looked like it was wave. "Bye, bye, Kazuki," she said in a high pitched voice.

Kazuki gave a soft smile. He knew he was being slightly extreme, but it was hard for him. He barely left Qin for more than a day after finding him, now they had to part for half a week. Kazuki rubbed his nose against Qin's. "I am going to make that Ootari bastard allow me to take you next time." He looked at the maid and gave her a hug, soft enough so he wouldn't squeeze Qin. "Thank you, Matilda."

"It's no problem, anything for you," she said with a smile. "Now leave before your sister has to come and drag you out."

Kazuki said his final goodbyes to Ryuu and others before hurried down the stairs and out the door. It was sunny, the bright sun making Kazuki squint a bit at the glare. It was the perfect weather for going to the beach and he hoped that nothing too horrible happened when he was there, even though he was going to be with the guy he liked, that guy's brother who hates Kazuki, and a person that seems to be digging into this background, yup, it should go down fine.

As the plans worked out, Shou had a conference to go to in Miyakojima the same week of the trip, so Kazuki, Aiko, Sayuri, and Reiji flew with him in the family's private jet. The flight had a lot of card playing, shouting, sleeping, snacking, and argueing, but everyone made it to Miyakojima in one piece. Shou left to his hotel while the group went to the one that the host club was using for the event. A lot of the girls that attended the club were staying there also, so they were prepared for it to be packed with familiar faces.

Kazuki's phone rung the moment he entered the lobby, searching around for one of the host. He sighed heavily when he noticed who had called him. "Hello."

"Kazuki, have you made it to the hotel?" Kyoya asked, not even bothering to greet him.

"Just walked in. Which is my room?" Kyoya had took the liberty in assigning the hostess had rooms, meaning what room they were sleeping in and with whom. Kyoya told Kazuki his room, in which the younger boy wrote it down. Kyoya gave him the meeting point and time before hanging up.

"So I got my room," Kazuki said turning to his small group, pocketing his phone.

"You mean our room," Reiji said with a large smile.

Kazuki gave him a raised brow. "Excuse me?"

Reiji rocked back and forth on his heels, not allowing the grin to leave his face. "I sent a request to Kyoya, telling him to give you a room for the two of us, don't you want company?"

"You what?" Kazuki mumbled, running his finger through his hair in aggravation. "How did he even accept it?"

"I might have texted him through your phone."

"Wow, Reiji, you won't give up," Sayuri said with a chuckle.

"Aiko, please help Reiji book his room or let him stick with you two," Kazuki said, grabbing his suitcase once again. "I am going to my room," Kazuki looked at Reiji, "alone." He took his stuff as he headed to the elevator.

As he approached his room, Kazuki slightly regretted telling Reiji to get his own room. Kazuki would undoubtedly get lonely in the room by himself, but he had to face the music, he was alone for the night, multiple nights. Kazuki shook his head and took out his key card he got from the front desk before he left the others.

An annoyed groan left Kazuki as he looked into the room. Of course he would get the couples' suite, which just annoyed him in a way. Out of pure curiosity, he opened the draws of the night stand, in which he found condoms and lubes. Kazuki smirked inwardly, wondering if he'd use them. With a sigh, he fell down on the bed, letting the soft sheets cushion him.

"I would never cheat on my bed, but you feel so good," Kazuki said as he stretched on the sheets. He flipped over and took out his phone, finding Kaoru's contact, which was under Raindrop. Having people under fun contact names was something he enjoyed.

K: Have you landed yet?

Kazuki didn't have to wait long for a response.

R: yeah we have been here for about an hour. :)

K: Wow, you were pretty early

R: we were late last year so i made sure we got here on time for this trip XD

Kazuki wasn't surprised that Kaoru was an emoji user, if anything, it made the boy all the more adorably attractive.

R: what's your room number?

Did he want to come over? Kazuki looked at the clock on the side table, they still had almost an hour until the host had to meet up, so having Kaoru over did seem like a good way to pass the time.

K: 707

R: thnx i'm 605

R: think i can come by later when i get the time?

Kazuki threw his fist up in triumph , shooting up to sit on his knees before slamming right back into his bed with a large smile. He smothered his face in the covers for a moment, kicking his feet. He got his phone back and texted 'if you like'.

R: ^u^

Wait, what did him mean by when he has the time? Does that mean now, or much later? Should he be expected him to come knocking on his door within ten minutes or ten at night? Kazuki wasn't even sure if the twins were busy at the moment, so it could be awhile.

After some time of exploring his bedroom, Kazuki heard a knock on his door. He immediately went to the door and opened it with a smile.

"So this is the room," Reiji said with a grin. "Anyways, Ka-"

Kazuki shut the door in Reiji's face with a groan.

Kazuki had to admit, who ever came up with the idea of going to the beach as a host club event was pretty smart. Somehow Kyoya was able to rant the beach so it was considered private property for the day, so everyone was safe. The day was spent swimming, playing around, and just generally enjoying one's self. A few girls had forced Kazuki to play volleyball a couple times, which he didn't mind much because he could whip their butts at at. Of course, since it was a host outing, he had to keeping up his 'play boy' act.

It had been a while since Kazuki had gone to the beach, so he did enjoy playing in the salty water, the clear ocean water feeling cool on his skin after playing under the sun for a while. Aiko did tell him that he may tan weird because of the swim shirt he was wearing, but he hoped his put on enough sunscreen and the odds will be in his favor.

Something that was in his favor was seeing Kaoru shirtless. Kazuki couldn't help it, seeing him under the san, hair wet, shirtless chest glissing, it was a sight to behold for Kazuki, and he just hoping no one saw his lingering stares.

Reiji had a kick out of dumping a bucket of water on Kazuki when the older student was poorly attempting to beat Sayuri at a castle building contest, which Kazuki returned by almost drowning him after pulling Reiji into the water.

Haruhi had to convince Tamaki that Kazuki wasn't going to die of head trauma because he hit his head on a rock he ran into. The blonde was convinced he had to give Kazuki CPR or the new host would die, which the girls from the host club watched with large eyes and even wider smiles. Kazuki was okay of course, only thinking it was odd how there was a giant arched rock on the beach, but it did look cool.

They stayed there until sunset, in which Tamaki came back from one of the cars with arms fulls of bags will with sparklers and miniature fireworks. The girls enjoyed them as much as the host, swirling the sparkling sticks in the air to make temporary light patterns. At one point, Aiko began to chase Kazuki around, using her sparker as a flaming weapon aimed right at his back. He yelled for her to stop, but she just laughed until Kazuki found shelter behind Aiko's friend Shiro, who lectured Aiko about how her antics were dangerous. Kaoru had a laughing fit because of the whole things and Kyoya just shook his head.

By the time everything was wrapped up and people were heading to where they were staying, Kazuki was tired and ready for bed. He had dinner with Sayuri, Aiko, and Reiji in the hotel dining hall along with the other host. Reiji had tried to make Kazuki feed him, only resulting in Kazuki giving him a mouth full of his spicy vegetables. Spicy food being the one thing the guy couldn't eat, Reiji bolted out his chair and towards the nearest bathroom, making the rest chuckle at his misery like true friends.

Kazuki just let out a light sigh, enjoying himself more than he would have thought. He looked up and made contact with a familiar pair of brown eyes from across the long table. Kaoru just smiled at Kazuki, and looked down at his plate like he was embarrassed in a way. Kazuki just sent him a wink the the other looked back over at him before continue his conversation with Sayuri.

Hikaru came out of the shower, drying his hair with a fluffy towel. He saw Kaoru slipping on his shoes, causing him to give his twin a raised brow.

"Where are you going?" Hikaru asked.

Kaoru looked over at his brother, not noticing that he came out of the bathroom. "Oh, I was going to go see Kazuki."

"Why?" Hikaru asked, already sounding annoyed at the thought of his brother leaving. "He should be sleeping, it is already late."

"I'm going to ask him something." Koura said it with ease, because it really was the truth, he had no intention of doing anything else. Just by looking at Hikaru, Kaoru could tell that his twin was upset.

"You can ask him in the morning."

"What is the matter, Hikaru?" Kaoru asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion at his brother. "I don't understand what you have against Kazuki, but it is stupid and you're acting childish."

"Childish," Hikaru echoed. "I am not being childish, I am only look out for you."

"You keep saying that, but I don't think you are," Kaoru said slyly with a frown. "There is nothing for you to be looking out for. He is just a friend that I enjoy being with. Even if you don't like him, as my brother, don't you think you should atleast support me?"

"Excuse me, support you in what exactly?" Hikaru took a step forward. Kaoru let his emotion slip, showing his regret for a millisecond, but that was all Hikaru needed to catch on to it. "You said that you two were just friends, but you are saying it like it is something more."

"It is nothing, Hikaru" Kaoru pressed on. It was rare, but he started to get slight agitated with his twin, giving a heavy sigh.

"Don't lie to me!" Hikaru shouted, finally beginning to lose it. He knew things have been going on behind his back, and he refused to allow it to continue. It wasn't just the fact that he felt that he was being tricked, but that it was by his own brother. "I know when you lie to me, Kaoru, I am your twin. I have been with you since day one, don't start turning your back on me now because of him." Hikaru said it with a disgusted tone that made Kaoru more mad than he would have thought.

"I am not trying to hurt you, Hikaru," Kaoru tried to explain, although his plea was a bit more aggressive than he meant for it to me. "But i can not tell you everything and be by your side forever. I want to do things and be with people, which may not include you. That doesn't mean that you should act like this."

Hikaru face only turned harder. "So there is something between you and Kazuki?"

"If I wanted you to know, I would tell you," the younger twin spat out, no longer wanting to argue with him. "Are you jealous of him or something?"

Hikaru let out a frustrated shout, which frightened Kaoru for a moment, having not seen Hikaru like this before. "Why do you people think I am jealous of him? I am concerned about you, Kaoru. He is sketchy, am i the only one that thinks that? I only want to make sure nothing happens to you, is that so wrong? I don't need you to get into something that you can't get out of."

"Well I don't alway need you focusing on me." Kaoru stomped his foot, causing his shoe to fit on his foot properly. "Allow me to live my life without you breathing down my neck. I am going to go see Kazuki, I will see you later." He opened the door and left the room as his brother stared at him with an expression mixed with anger, confusion, and hurt.

Kaoru walked down the hall, searching for which room belonged to Kazuki. The student was fed up with his brother and he needed to talk with someone about it. He made it to Kazuki's room and noticed that the door was slightly ajar. He pushed it open and was about to call out to see if his classmate was in there, but stopped before he could get a sound out. Ahead on the balcony, was Kazuki.

Panic swelled inside Kaoru when he saw Kazuki stand fully erect on the thin metal strip. What was he doing? Kazuki's foot rose and it looked to Kaoru that Kazuki was going to jump.

Kaoru move towards the other, frightened like he's never been. "Kazuki, don't!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it has been a while. I had some major writer's block after getting news that I was moving out of the state. So I am back at writing.... but I am moving. I hope it doesn't get too much in the way. As always, enjoy.

 

Kazuki couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned in the hotel bed, but he couldn't get comfortable. The once soft bed now felt foreign and made him feel uneasy. The silent, dark room didn't do anything to help, and Kazuki was deeply regretting not letting Reiji share the room. He was alone and it seemed like the darkness was going to engulf him even though he kept a lamp on. He didn't have his rabbit with him to give him comfort, and just the thought of Qin made Kazuki's heart ache.

With a sigh, Kazuki threw off his covers and put on a pair of pants he had near by. He walked to the balcony door and opened it. He was immediately hit with the salty sea air and he inhaled it deeply. The coolness of the night breeze helped ease his nerves and he felt relaxed. He walked over to the rail and sat on it as if it was a bench, allowing his legs to dangle off the edge.

Kazuki began to think of the times when he and Izumi would do the same. They would be on the roof plenty of the time, sitting on the marble railing. Izumi would always stand and walk the railing, even though it wasn't the widest and one could easily fall. Kazuki, usually a guy who would take any challenge, was never able . He would crouch for some time and end up jumping off after a few seconds.

Kazuki began to wonder if he could do it now. The railing wasn't as wide as the one at the Miyu's manor, but he could certainly balance on it. Carefully, he began to stand up on the railing. He smiled triumphantly once he was fully standing on it. The fear of falling wasn't fully present at the moment, just the need to test his own limits. Kazuki was never scared of heights and he was sure if he lost his balance and fell he would be able to grip the bottom of the rail and pull himself back up.

Wanting to take the next step, he turned and rose his foot to see if he could walk the distance to the other side. It wasn't that long, maybe a meter and a half, two at most.

"Kazuki, don't!" Kazuki heard a voice suddenly yell. The student was frightened by the sudden voice, which made him jolt. He momentarily lost his balance, sending a surge of panic through him. He quickly caught himself and launched off the rail onto the solid balcony. He stumbled back and hit his back against the barrier. The collision caused a throbbing pain in his back. Kazuki looked up, his turquoise eyes meeting brown ones.

"Kaor-" Kazuki started but was cut off by the other as he raced toward him.

"What the hell were you doing?" Kaoru shouted, grabbing Kazuki's wrist and dragging him away from the end of the balcony. "Why are you trying to kill yourself? There's no reason for that, you idiot!"

Kazuki was shocked by the mixture of rage, concern, and panic in Kaoru's voice.

"Kaoru, hey, Kaoru," Kazuki said, trying to get the other's attention as he was pulled back into the dark room.

"What, Kazuki, what could you possibly be thinking?" Kaoru asked, turning to see the other. Kaoru's face was illuminated by the moonlight, and Kazuki was able to see the glassiness of the other's eyes.

"Kaoru…" Kazuki breathed out, unsure of what to say. He felt a bit happy knowing that Kaoru cared so much for him. Kazuki removed his hand from the other's loose grip and wrapped his arms around Kaoru in a hug, holding him close like Kaoru did only days before.

"Sorry," he whispered sincerely into Kaoru's ear. "I wasn't doing anything stupid, promise."

Kaoru just shook his head against Kazuki bare chest, his clenched fists opening as his tension left him. Kazuki was safe, holding him, and wasn't going to do anything.

"Seriously," Kaoru mumbled, "what were you doing? About to jump off your balcony at midnight?"

Kazuki pulled away from Kaoru so they can look at each other. "I could ask why you're breaking into rooms at midnight."

Kaoru gave a nervous smile. He mumbled that he came to tell Kazuki something and that the door was opened. Kazuki did leave his bedroom door open at times when he felt lonely, which he ended up doing that night out of habit.

Kazuki laid on his stomach on top of the bed. "Come lay down," he said to Kaoru, patting the area of his bed beside him. "Tell me this big thing you couldn't wait until morning to bring up," Kazuki teased with a smirk. With a nod, the twin sat on the bed next to him. Right as he was reclining, Kaoru jolted up so suddenly that scared Kazuki.

"Kazuki?" Kaoru asked, tone uneasy.

"Yeah?" he answered questioningly.

"Uh, can I ask you something?"

Kazuki looked up at the twin, studying Kaoru's hesitated expression. "Sure."

"How did you get that scar?"

Kazuki totally forgot that his back was exposed. Even with all the effort he had put into trying to hide his back, Kaoru still saw the jagged line. With a sigh, Kazuki said, "It happened a while ago when I was in England. I was out and, well, I was attacked. The guy had a knife and I was cut across the back."

Kaoru looked from Kazuki's eyes to his back, large brown eyes seeming as if he trying to take in every detail of it. He made a gesture like he was going to touch Kazuki's back, but took his hand back.

"You can touch it if you want," Kazuki offered. "I don't mind."

"You've been hiding it, right?" Kaoru said. "If you aren't comfortable with it, then I wouldn't wan-"

"It's fine," Kazuki said. "If it's you, I don't mind."

The twin looked at it again before touching Kazuki's back. He trailed his fingers from the top of it, starting from Kazuki's upper shoulder. He felt the hard, dead skin along with his trusts skin, feeling the difference. He found the jaggedness of it pretty interesting, you could tell it came from an attack, sloppy and harsh.

Kazuki closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of Kaoru's fingers on his back, tracing patterns to make a drawing without paints, just feeling. He could feel the tension leave with every stroke and brush of the finger. And for once, Kazuki didn't lie. He told Kaoru the truth, and he wouldn't have thought it would feel so good, so pure.

"Kaoru," Kazuki said softly, only knowing he said the name when the other gave a hum. "I know this sounds really weird and out of nowhere and like I'm being dramatic in a way, but can I tell you things?"

Kaoru could tell by Kazuki tone that this wasn't something light or an off handed remarks, but something Kazuki could feel weighing into him. "Yeah."

Kazuki looked over at him, the older boy's eyes serious. He sat up and looked so unlike what Kaoru was used to. He wasn't smiling or giving off the impression he was joking.

"Kaoru, you're special," Kazuki started. "And it makes me really happy just being with you, but there are times that I lie straight to your face and you don't even know it."

It felt like a bullet to the chest for Kaoru. Why would Kazuki lie to him, he thought he trusted him? Kaoru trusted Kazuki, he even put his reputation in Kazuki's hands, so what did Kazuki have against him, to not want to know this?

"But it isn't my fault," Kazuki said, reaching his hand out and taking Kaoru's. Kaoru focused back on Kazuki. His stare, his touch, his tone, Kaoru was locked in on it any way a single moment of what was happening. "I  _hate_ having to hide things, Kaoru, because I feel like I'll hurt someone and I won't be able to undo it. But it seems like secrets are as good as they are bad."

"You don't have to tell me anything," Kaoru said. Kaoru was thinking of what his brother had told him not too long ago, and he saw what he meant. Kazuki was a peculiar person, and him confessing that he had not been honest only made it seem more like Hikaru was right. Kazuki was trying to come clean, though, so Kaoru knew that Kazuki was trying. He gripped Kazuki's hand. "I would never want you to feel uncomfortable. Everyone has things that they rather not tell others, it is part of being human. But if it makes you feel better, tell me what you are comfortable saying."

Kaoru could feel his heart growing heavier in his chest, swelling with intense emotions he couldn't quite put a name on. He never felt this way and it made him want to jump up in the air and stay grounded at the same time. Kazuki was really something new in his life and made him feel like a whole different person at times, and he wanted to protect that feeling, he wanted to protect Kazuki. He didn't want him feeling uneasy or sad or scared, Kaoru wanted to see him smile like he did that day in the rain and be at peace, because he could tell that Kazuki had been through things. Whatever that baggage was that was breaking Kazuki's back, Kaoru wanted to help carry it.

"Here," Kaoru said, letting go of Kazuki's hand and turning his back on the other boy. Kaoru looked at the wall in front of him, but could still feel Kazuki's eyes on him. "Now you can tell me whatever. I-I won't think of you any different."

There was a long moment of silence. It seemed like the animals outside were listening and even the ocean silenced its waves so it would be able to hear what was said that night in the bedroom.

"I am not really a Hiro and I never lived abroad in England."

Even if it was only a small piece of it, Kazuki felt a wave of regret and relief wash over when he told Kaoru his reality. He had told Aiko and Ryuu so many times he would keep it to himself and to those directly affected by his situation, even signing a contract saying he would do just that, but he went against it. He had told an outsider, a person that could potentially relay the information to anyone else, putting so many people at risk.

Yet it felt so relieving. He was able to let the words leave, to be freed from have heart and mind. Kazuki didn't have to worry that he was a liar at that moment because it felt like he had just told the first truth in his whole life.

Kazuki watched Kaoru for a reaction, to see how the other would take the information. He said that he wouldn't think of Kazuki any different, but would that still stand?

"Kaoru?" Kazuki asked, the silence digging into him with a knife of anxiety. "Are yo-"

"Reiji is going completely blind!" Kaoru suddenly shouted.

It took a moment for the words to register in Kazuki's mind. "What!?" Kazuki took a hold of Kaoru and turned him around so he can see the twin's panicked expression. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know," Kaoru said with a frantic tone. "I just freaked for a second and I remember him telling me to tell you that if you from something and that was the first thing that just came to my mind."

"He told you and not me?" Kazuki asked, confusion and aggravation in his tone.

"Reiji just told me that you have secrets and he told me his and I was supposed to keep it until you opened up." Kaoru looked around, scratching his head. "I am sorry, I said you could tell me but that was just… I didn't expect it."

Kazuki ran his fingers through his hair with a heavy sigh, falling onto his back. "That idiot."

Kaoru looked around the room before back at Kazuki. The older boy had his arm over his eyes, looking like he didn't want to think of anything anymore. Kaoru didn't know what to say or do, so he just scooted closer to him, pulling his knees to his chest.

"I'm not upset that you lied," Kaoru said after some time. "You had to do it for some reason, which you didn't like, right? You're still Kazuki to me."

Kaoru felt a hand grip his arm and was pulled down with a surprised cry. He was about to get up but Kazuki was holding him down beside him.

"K-Kazuki," Kaoru stuttered, flustered. The other was holding Kaoru close to him, like Kazuki was scared to let him go.

"Can you stay with me tonight?" Kazuki asked, squeezing Kaoru a bit tight to him.

Kaoru looked up at Kazuki, his face whorpes with sadness and confusion, but he had the overall look of someone who had a longing for something. His beautiful turquoise eyes looked pleading and heavy with an emotion Kaoru couldn't quite put a finger on, but they made Kaoru's heart want to sink and flutter at the same time.

"Sure," Kaoru answered with a nod. Kaoru kicked off his shoes he was still wearing. He was slightly hesitant of taking off his shirt, he never slept with it on, but it still felt a bit off.  _Come on, Kaoru, the guy has seen you almost naked._  The thought actually didn't help much, only making Kaoru blush a deep red. Kaoru felt a hand touch the back of his head and he turned around to see Kazuki giving him a half smile.

"Just sleeping, Kaoru," Kazuki said. Kaoru felt his gut turn in embarrassment, Kazuki totally knew what he was thinking about. Not trusting himself with his words, Kaoru just nodded as he turned away from Kazuki, hoping the blush would leave his cheeks. He discarded his shirt as Kazuki got up to close the doors to the balcony. Kaoru studied the scar once more, wondering what other scars Kazuki was covering up.

* * *

Kazuki ignored his phone going off, not wanting to be bothered at the moment. It could have been Aiko asking him if he's coming down for breakfast or maybe Kyoya informing him of the day's plan, but it didn't seem like a priority for Kazuki at that moment. He was replaying the night over and over in his mind, playing back each and every moment of it. Kaoru trying to save him, comforting said guy, telling a complete outsider a secret Kazuki wasn't even supposed to bring up. Everything felt surreal, even after he woke up and found Kaoru laying in his bed, still sleeping peacefully.

Kazuki didn't remember Kaoru going to sleep, meaning that he was the first to knock out. What Kazuki did remember was the other hesitantly cuddling against him with a sheepish blush. Even with the morning sun's ray flooding into the room, the scene in front of him seemed straight out of his dreams.

Kaoru was still snoozing in a peaceful state, the slight rise and fall of his bare chest being his only movement. His facial expression was so calm that Kazuki wished he wouldn't wake just so it could remain without troubles forever.

_Come on, Kazuki, you're actually watching him sleep, that is a whole new creepy level. I know it's weird but he's so cute and adorable and I may never see this again in my life. My whole day has been blessed by this single moment._

Kazuki took his phone from the nightstand and, without even bothering to look over his notifications, went to his camera. He made sure the lighting looked just right before snapping a picture of Kaoru. Feeling satisfied with the photo, Kazuki placed his phone back on the nightstand and got out of the bed.

Only wearing his boxers, Kazuki walked over to the balcony, opening it again. There was something about the salty beach air that he loved. He didn't even go to one often enough for it to be linked with any outstandingly pleasant experiences or memories. Kazuki stretched with a groan, raising his arms almost high enough to move the clouds in front of the sun just so he can feel like it was still night.

A heavy sigh came from behind Kazuki, which he saw was Kaoru shifting in the bed. Kaoru rolled a bit before opening tired eyes and soon shot up in shock. He looked around frantically for a second, making Kazuki chuckle.

"I promise I didn't kidnap you," Kazuki teased with a smile, walking back over to the bed.

It took Kaoru a moment for everything to come back to him, laying back down once it all made sense but not closing his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Time to go back to sleep," Kazuki joked, laying back down on the bed over the covers, looking over at Kaoru who peered at him with sleepy eyes. Kaoru's hair wasn't as crazy as Kazuki's, but it did stick up sometimes, which Kazuki pushed down. "You slept well?" Kazuki asked softly.

Kaoru hummed with a nod, leaning his hand into Kazuki's touch. "It was an interesting night for sure." Kaoru then chuckled to himself, causing Kazuki raise his brow. "It's just, I came all the way over here, and all of that happened and I didn't even invite you."

"Invite me where?" Kazuki asked. "Is this what you came to ask me?"

Kaoru sat up with a stretch as he nodded. "Yeah. Uh, so, I'm going to Osaka sometime from now, maybe in like a month. I'm going with my dad for a few days, and the same week my mother is going to Okinawa and Hikaru is going with her. I'm not sure why my parents decided to do it this way, but that's how it's going. Basically, I know my dad is going to be in and out of meetings a lot and I may just be stuck in my hotel room the whole time. I was wondering if you would like to come with me."

The invite made Kazuki's warm and he had to fight to not smile like a goof. "I should be good, I never really do anything, so my schedule is usually cleared."

Kaoru expression brightened with glee, not even trying to conceal his happiness. "Thanks, it was going to be a really boring trip, honestly."

Kazuko gave a shrug. "I'll be happy to accompany you. How cruel could I be to let you suffer all on your own? Besides, I would love to spend more time with you."

A knock came from the door, disturbing the two. The two looked at each other with questioning expressions. Kazuki found his sweat pants on the floor and put them on before answering the door, not caring to put a shirt on.

"Yes?" Kazuki asked as he opened the door. To his surprise, it was Reiji.

"Good morning, Kazuki," he said in a voice too cheerful to have in the morning. "How was your night?"

"It was okay," Kazuki's said with a groan, not really wanting to deal with Reiji so earlier in the morning. But then his thoughts flicked back to the night, and he felt rage surged through him in a heated spike. "Reiji!"

The boy took a step back into the hall, scared by Kazuki's sudden outburst.

"You are going blind?" Kazuki exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me, you idiot."

Reiji gave a forced smile, putting his hands up in defense. "Oh, so you know about that now."

"And you didn't even bother telling me?" Kazuki went on. "Have you gone to the doctors about it, what is going on, tell me there is some sort of treatment you are taking." Kazuki grabbed a hold of Reiji's shoulders, holding him tightly. "Is there a way to fix it, are you going to be okay. Reiji, you have to tell me things like this so I.. so I can help you." Kazuki knew he couldn't do anything about it, but he felt like he had to help Reiji somehow. Kazuki stared helplessly into Reiji's eyes, the eyes that may not be able to see him one day, and Kazuki wanted so badly to deny the possibility. Kazuki rested his head on Reiji shoulder in defeat. "Please tell me you're okay."

"God, Kazuki, stop worrying," Reiji said with a small smile. "I've had to deal with it for some time, blindness is nothing new." Reiji wrapped his arms around Kazuki giving him a pat on the back. "If I knew you would give me this much attention, I would have told you long ago."

"Idiot," Kazuki mumbled. "I thought you hated secrets."

"I do," Reiji said with a sigh. "But I hate seeing you upset even more."

Kazuki pulled away from Reiji, surprised that he was still smiling.

"It seems like you told a secret, too," the chestnut colored hair guy said as he leaned over to see Kaoru in the bedroom. "I truly am hurt, Kazuki, you tell me that you don't want me with you yet it is obvious Kaoru spent the night here."

Kazuki scoffed, dropping his hands from Reiji's shoulders. "Seriously Reiji?

"I'm not saying anything about it." A sad look came over Reiji's for a split second. "I know when I have been beaten." Reiji walked around Kazuki and rushed over to Kaoru, who pulled the covers up as a sort of barrier between him and Reiji. Reiji climbed onto the bed, getting close enough that Kaoru could see every detail of his face.

The younger boy gave Kaoru a serious look. "Treat him well, Hitachiin. You've taken something I wanted for years in a matter of weeks, so you better make him the most important thing in your life, because he deserves every ounce of happiness that comes his way. So if you are playing with him in any way and make him upset, I will have to come after you." Kaoru remained speechless and Reiji gave him a hard glare before doing a one-eighty and giving the twin a large smile. "Nice talk." He hopped off the bed and passed Kazuki who stood stunned in the doorway. "See you two soon, breakfast is about to be served," he said in his enthusiastic tone before leaving down the hall.

* * *

Koura left Kazuki's room soon after the encounter with Reiji. The twin wasn't sure what to think about everything. One day Reiji was encouraging that Kaoru get's closer to Kazuki and now the guy is acting like Kaoru was a threat. To who, him, Kazuki? No, Kazuki's happiness.

Kaoru did learn that Kazuki was hiding secrets and that it was hard for him, but Kaoru didn't know the details. Did Reiji know them, because it seemed like it. Kaoru gave a sigh, rubbing his head. It was far too obvious that Reiji liked Kazuki, and Kaoru being in Kazuki's room probably made him think that they did something. Which they didn't, well, not then.

Realization hit Kaoru hard enough to make him stop in his tracks. Was Kaoru playing with Kazuki? There was no way, Kazuki allowed it to happen, he's the one who offered it. Koru was just going along with it because he liked it, he didn't think of Kazuki in the way that Reiji did, but thinking of that just made it seem worse. Well, it wasn't like Kaori didn't like Kazuki at all, the older boy did make Kaoru feel really happy at times and he really did enjoy being with him. Like the day they went ice skating, or when Kaoru let Kazuki ride the horse with him, he felt so warm and happy inside.

_Wait, so do I like Kazuki? I obviously don't think of him as someone just to mess with, I could never. He had told me something so important, something he would only do if he really trusted something. So that means that he trust me. And I care about him, more than I do with other people, heck, I got jealous when Reiji was all over him. But why?_

Kaoru let out a frustrated groan as he made it to his room, it was all too complicated. He took the key card out of his back pocket and entered the room. Surprisingly, it seemed like the room was empty, which only brought another wave of conflict over Kaoru, he had to deal with Hikaru. It was going to be a long day.

"Kaoru?" Kazuki question when the door opened in front of Kaoru.

The twin picked up his head and gave Kazuki a soft smile, although it was a tired one. It was another full day of activities and hosting and Kaoru was surely feeling it catch up to him. "Hi."

Kazuki leaned against the doorframe in a casual manner. "What's up?"

"I have a question to ask," Kaoru said. "Do you think I could stay the night again?"

Kazuki raised a brow at the request but did not question the twin. He moved to the side to allow Kaoru in. "Sure, why not?"

"Thanks," Kaoru said with a genuine smile as he entered the room. He set the clothes he brought with him down on the dresser. Hikaru was mad at him in the morning when Kaoru went for breakfast and wouldn't speak to him. The tension had been high for them for the rest of the day, even when Kaoru tried to reason with his brother. Most of the girls thought they were doing as they did last year when they pretended to be in a fight, but this was an all too real conflict between the two. And when Hikaru refused to say a word to Kaoru that night, Kaoru realized he wouldn't be able to stay in the same room and immediately got his stuff and headed for Kazuki's room.

"I was just about to take a shower," Kazuki said, gesturing towards the bathroom. "So if you'll give me a second."

"It's fine, take all the time you need," Kaoru replied. "Seriously, don't even think of me, I don't mind at all."

Kazuki gave a nod and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Kaoru sat on the bed and found the remote on top of the nightstand, which he used to turn on the TV. He watched the movie that was on for about ten minutes before he heard a phone ringing. It wasn't Kaoru's and he saw Kazuki's phone by him, screen on and vibrating. The contact read  _Mom_ , which puzzled Kaoru and he had to read it again to make sure he was not seeing things. Kazuki's mom had passed away, so who could that be? He took the phone and knocked on the bathroom door.

"Yeah?" Kaoru heard from the other end.

"Someone is calling you?"

There was a long moment of silence before Kaoru heard Kazuki asked who it was.

"Someone called 'mom'." He said the words a bit of hesitation, the situation a bit uncomfortable for him. The door immediately swung open and Kaoru was grateful he wasn't directly behind it. The second Kazuki's smiling face came into view the phone stopped ringing. The boy greedily took it from Kaoru's with a mumbled thank you and called the person back. It took a moment before a muffled voice could be heard.

"Hello, Matilda," Kazuki said with enthusiasm in his voice and Kaoru could see the other's face glow with happiness. "How are you? That's great, I'm doing fine. How's my baby?"

Kaoru knew better than to listen to Kazuki's conversation, although he wanted to ask about it. Kaoru sat back on to the bed and continued his movie. Kazuki went over to the balcony as he talked to whoever the person was. Not after too long, the balcony door opened and Kazuki came in, smiling from ear to ear.

"Sorry for that," he said, tossing his phone on the bed.

"It's fine," Kaoru said. "Who was it?"

"Oh, it was Matilda, one of the maids."

Kaoru gave him an incredulous look. "A maid whose number you have under 'mom'?"

"That does sound odd if you say it out loud," Kazuki said, rolling his eyes with a smile. "She watches my rabbit Qin when I am gone and I asked her to call me every so often and send me pictures. She once made a joke that she was like Qin's mom, so that's that." Kazuki picked back up his phone and quickly went through it. After finding what he wanted, he passed it to Kaoru.

Kaoru inspected the picture. There was a blonde lady in a maid's uniform, probably in her mid-twenties. She was smiling and petting a black and white rabbit that was in her lap.

"That's her and Qin," Kazuki explained. He then swiped over to a picture of the rabbit by itself and Kaoru had to admit that it was adorable. "And that's my little baby Qin." Kazuki said it in a happy, high-pitched voice, like he was talking to a baby, and it was really cute to Kaoru.

"He really is adorable," Kaoru commented. Kazuki told him he could look through the picture if he liked. Kaoru flipped through the several pictures of Qin, which we sent all in one day, until he came across pictures for the day. There was a few selfies of Kazuki that Kaoru really wanted to send to himself, ones with his sister and Sayuri. It seemed like Kazuki tended to take a lot of pictures, which Kaoru thought was cool. One picture made him stop, one of him. It was taken in the morning when he was sleeping. Kazuki took a picture of him sleeping.

"Kazuki," Kaoru said, leaning over so he could see Kazuki in the bathroom as he stood in front of the mirror doing his hair. "Why do you have a picture of me sleeping?"

Kazuki stopped his motion of doing his hair, but didn't say anything in response. The silence lingered for a moment before Kazuki said, "because you looked cute."

Kaoru felt flattered and embarrassed all at once. "Thanks."

Kazuki came back into the room and Kaoru passed him the phone, finished looking through the pictures for now. "Do you want me to delete it?"

"No, it's fine." Kaoru honestly didn't mind that much, if anything, he felt a bit of pride knowing that Kazuki wanted to take a picture of him. He felt a hand touch his cheek and he looked up to see Kazuki looking down at him, his turquoise eyes roaming over his face.

"You're blushing," Kazuki stated, thumb skimming across Kaoru's cheek.

"I can't help it," Kaoru said.

"It's not a problem, I actually find it really cute."

Before he knew it, Kaoru was leaning in to connect their lips. It just felt so right for the situation. The feeling he had when they were in the classroom on the rain day was back, and this time Kaoru was sure he would follow it. Kazuki kissed back, bringing himself closer to aid Kaoru's lust.

They parted from the kiss and Kaoru could see Kazuki's lips pull up to a smirk. "Someone is bold this evening."

"I want to make you feel like I do when you touch me," Kaoru said, trying hard to hide his blush. It had been at the back of his mind all day. He wanted to do something for Kazuki for a change.

"Oh really?" Kazuki said with a smirk, looking at Kaoru with his head tilted. "And why do you want that?"

Kaoru looked down for a second, unable to look at him as he shifted a little due to his nerves going a flare. "Well, you obviously like making me feel good, so, um, I want to know what it's like, too."

"You sure you want to try?" Kazuki asked, getting closer to the other, and Kaoru swore his voice dropped lower. Kaoru already felt heat roll over him as Kazuki got closer to him, his bare chest getting a bit too close for Kaoru to ignore it.

Kaoru nodded, swallowing nothing because his mouth was unbelievably dry for a moment. "I want to, yeah."

Kazuki leaned into Kaoru's ear and whispers, "ok, let's go for it," before licking the shell of his ear, causing Kaoru to shudder.

"But, um, uh," Kaoru stuttered, a blush consuming his face when Kazuki met his nervous brown eyes. "I don't really know what I am doing," the twin confessed.

"It's fine," Kazuki said. "I'll help. Take over whenever you want to and do what feels natural," Kazuki instructed with ease, helping Kaoru feel more comfortable. How could he be so level headed about this kind of stuff? It astonished Kaoru to no end.

Kazuki took Kaoru's hand and placed it on his chest, and Kaoru had to fight the urge to immediately remove his hand from Kazuki. He felt sturdy and strong under Kazuki's touch. He rubbed his upper pec muscle, feeling Kazuki's smooth and slightly damp skin under his fingertips. He traveled up to Kazuki's shoulder and then up to the side of his neck. Kaoru's eyes met Kazuki's, hesitating to move any further. Kazuki picked up on the hints and met Kaoru's lips with his own.

Kaoru felt Kazuki move his lips against his, powering the kiss. Kaoru let his eyes flutter closed as he started to become undone from the kiss. He pushed Kazuki's closer from the back of his neck, causing Kazuki to thrust his tongue into his mouth, which Kaoru accepted greedily. Kazuki swallowed Kaoru's moans as the twin matched his actions.

The two parted only when the need to breathe overpowered their lust. Kaoru moved to straddle Kazuki's lap, which caused the other to smirk.

"That's more like it," Kazuki teased, but he could see that Kaoru was very serious about it.

"Just kiss me," Kaoru said so seductively that Kazuki was stunned. He knew that Kaoru could get really needy and bold, but this was lust taking full hold of Kaoru and Kazuki could only wonder how long Kaoru had wanted to do this.

Kazuki obliged nonetheless, meeting his lips with Kaoru once more. This one was hungry and was much less gentle. Kaoru's arms found their way around Kazuki's neck and pulled himself closer, grinding himself against Kazuki. Kazuki caught Kaoru's bottom lip between his teeth, which he sucked on lightly before giving it a bite, causing the other to gasp in shock. Kazuki smirked as Kaoru attack his lips as he took hold of Kaoru's butt and gave it a tight squeeze. Kaoru let out a loud moan, tossing his head back, giving Kazuki the perfect opportunity to attack his neck with kisses and soft bites. He knew better than to leave a mark, although he was tempted to.

"Ka-Kazuki," Kaoru whined with a moan. "I'm supposed to be, uh." It couldn't even get his thoughts out while Kazuki was ravishing him.

"I said you can do whatever," Kazuki said slyly as he pulled Kaoru's shirt off. He rubbed his hand up Kaoru's chest, fingers spread apart and touching every inch of him. "Doesn't mean I wasn't going to help you get in the mood." He leaned over and took one of Kaoru's nipples into his mouth, sucking on it and letting it go with a loud pop sound. Kaoru intertwined his fingers in Kazuki's hair as he played with his nipples. Kaoru mewled loudly, rocking his hips against Kazuki, feeling his growing erection rub against the bulge in Kazuki's pants.

Kazuki toyed with one of Kaoru's nipples as he kissed the other's chest. "For once we are in private, so feel free to make all the sounds you would like."

"Kazu-Kazuki," Kaoru moaned out, which went straight to Kazuki's groin. "Kazuki, st-stop."

Kazuki immediately retracted from Kaoru, knowing better than to continue. If Kaoru needed him to stop, for whatever reason it may be, he had to. He looked up at Kaoru, expression asking what was the matter.

"I, I don't want to be the only one," he said, trying to catch his breath. "It isn't fair. I want to make you feel good too, it can't be so one sided."

Kazuki leaned back, extending his hand out to rest on the mattress behind him. "You say that right after you were grinding your hips on me so needily."

Kaoru gave a pout that caused Kazuki to sport a smug smile. His breath was still slightly heavy and sweat had started to form on his brow, giving Kazuki a beautiful sight.

"Take off your pants," Kaoru finally said.

"Demanding, aren't we," Kazuki said with a chuckle. "Okay then, but you will have to get off of me."

Kaoru got off of Kazuki, allowing Kazuki to stand and discard of his pants and boxers, letting them drop to the floor. Kaoru caught himself staring at Kazuki's naked figure, the air leaving his lungs. To say that he was hot would be an insult, he was much, much more than that. Kaoru was only able to peel his eyes from the Kazuki's intoxicating figure when the other cleared his throat.

"I'm happy you appreciate it," Kazuki teased, sitting back down by Kaoru. "But ravish me with your hands, not your eyes."

Just by the way Kazuki was displaying himself, the words he said, the way he felt so comfortable, Kaoru could tell that they were far apart when it came to sexual experiences. A month ago was the first time someone had even made truly sexual advances onto Kaoru, and know he was in a hotel room with an extremely attractive naked classmate. It felt like too much, but Kaoru wanted it. He wanted to know what it was like to be pleasured and to give it, to have someone touch him and to mirror the action.

Something cupped Kaoru's covered erection, making him shudder with a groan. He looked over at Kazuki, who was giving Kaoru a look of concern. "Stop thinking," Kazuki said. "Just feel, okay?"

Kaoru nodded, he had to get back into the mood. He leaned over and kissed Kazuki once more, not as rough as before, but he surely wasn't holding back. His hands found their way to his cheeks, which he used to push Kazuki closer. Kaoru found that he was most comfortable on top of Kazuki, which he had to admit that it was kind of embarrassing. Kazuki held onto his lower back as Kaoru continued to assault his lips.

He couldn't bring himself to immediately go straight for Kazuki's erection, so Kaoru parted their lips so he could look over Kazuki once more. He glanced at Kazuki through long lashes before roaming his body with his eyes. Kaoru hands went from Kazuki's collar bone and trailed done his chest. He brushed over Kazuki's nipples, thumbing one out of curiosity. Kazuki didn't give much of a reaction and Kaoru was a bit too nervous to look back up and see his face. Kaoru gave a small gulp when he looked down to see Kazuki's hard on standing up firmly.

Kazuki kissed Kaoru's cheek, making the twin look over at him.

"Wanna stop?" Kazuki asked softly. No, there was no way he was going to half ass this. He, he already got Kazuki naked, and he did not want to disappoint him. After everything that Kazuki had done, there was no way he was going to let him down. He couldn't just allow Kazuki to pleasure him with giving something in return, it just felt wrong.

"No, I'm good," Kaoru stutter. He took hold of Kazuki's erection, and Kaoru could feel a tremor to run through him. Kaoru looked up at Kazuki, noticing how he slowly closed his eyes, focusing on Kaoru's touch. All Kaoru had to do was act as if it was his own, shouldn't be too hard.

Kaoru pumped his hand up the shaft, getting a feel of it. Of course he had touched his own, but Kazuki's was much different. It felt heavier in Kaoru's hand and was surely longer. Kaoru used the pre-cum dripping from the top as a makeshift lube, making it easier for Kaoru. He stroked from the bottom to the top, twisting his hand slightly and going a decent pace. He knew when he was doing well when Kazuki fidgeted slightly under his touch grunts and moans escaping his lips. A sense of satisfaction rolled over Kaoru, knowing that he was pleasuring Kazuki like the other had done for him.

"Kaoru,  _ngh_ , faster," Kazuki groaned, which Kaoru happily obliged. He quickened his pace, receiving a moan of approval from Kazuki. Kaoru leaned over and kissed Kazuki's lips, capturing them in his own. Kazuki moved along Kaoru, wanting so bad to eat every inch of him.

Kaoru heard the drawer of the nightstand open and Kazuki had taken something from it, but he didn't pay it any mind. Kazuki soon parted their lips, looking at Kaoru, staring into the brown, lust covered eyes that had intoxicated him.

"Allow me to do something," Kazuki asked although it sounded more like a command. Kaoru nodded, stopping his hand on Kazuki's throbbing member to allow Kazuki to take off his pants and pull his short down just past his butt. Kaoru felt the exposure and shivered.

"Don't stop," Kazuki seemingly growled into Kaoru ear, and it took Kaoru a moment to focus his attention make on Kazuki's cock. He was doing as he was before when he felt Kazuki grab one of his cheeks and pull it aside, causing Kaoru to give a high pitched squeak in surprise. "You'll be okay," Kazuki whispered into his ear, although it was broken with a moan as he jerked himself up in Kaoru's hand. "Tell me if you want me to stop."

Something cold touched his hole, making Kaoru squirm a bit. Kaoru realized that it was Kazuki's finger, and it was slowly making its way into Kaoru, making him gasp at the foreign feeling. He had never done that before, although he had had thoughts and wet dreams of… other things in there.

"You okay?" Kazuki asked, which Kaoru responded with a nod as he bit his lip. Kazuki squeeze Kaoru's cheek a bit, making the other give a small whine. "I told you not to hold back your voice, Kaoru." Thrusted himself into Kaoru hand, urging him to go faster. "I love them, it makes me just want to eat you whole, they're so hot."

"Ka-Kazuki," Kaoru whimpered, embarrassed by what he was saying and by the feeling of Kazuki's finger fully inside of him. It felt so weird, but he liked it in a way.

"What, don't like it when I talk like that?" Kazuki asked with a smirk, looking up at Kaoru with a devilish grin. "I can't help it, you're just that erotic." Kazuki slowly started to add a second finger, wanted to accomplish something before Kaoru got him to his limits. "The way you moan and grind against me, I couldn't help but get hard, it would be impossible for anyone.  _Ngh_ , at least you're taking responsibility for it, and you're doing a killer job at it."

" _Ah_ , Kazuki," Kaoru moaned as Kazuki got his other finger fully in. "It h-hurts."

Kazuki kissed Kaoru's collarbone softly. "I'm sorry, but I promise, it will feel incredible soon."

Kaoru felt the fingers inside him, moving in him, and he couldn't do anything but moan. Then, Kazuki finger touched something inside of him, making him howl and arch his back in pleasure. It spread through his whole body and into his trapped erection. "Wha-what was  _ngha_ th-that?"

"That was your prostate," Kazuki informed. "Feels pretty good, doesn't it?" Kazuki curled his fingers once again, hitting that spot in Kaoru that made him cry in bliss and curl his toes.

"Feels s-so goood," Kaoru moaned out, pushing his hips down onto Kazuki's digits.

"Perfect," Kazuki moaned. "You're just perfect. I love that expression on your face, panting, needy, and totally lost in your lust." Kazuki let out a trembling sigh as he felt himself getting closer to the edge. "That is what I love to see. Wonder if I can get you off without even touching your dick." Kazuki leaned over and caught on of Kaoru's nipples in his mouth. He timed his bite with his fingers hitting Kaoru's bundle of nerves, making the other moans so loudly he feared someone from the upper floor might had heard.

Kaoru managed it get his erection out of its cloth cage with a groan. He spotted a bottle of lube by Kazuki, noting that it was what he got from the drawer. Not knowing how much to use, he gave what he thought was enough in his hand and began to rub his member against Kazuki's, making them both groan in pleasure. Kazuki continued his actions of fingering Kaoru and playing with his nipples and Kaoru worked their cocks together with a shudder.

The new feeling caught Kazuki by surprise and he groaned as he moved himself against Kaoru. Kazuki had to applaud Kaoru on his actions, but he could do it much better than just a thank you. Kazuki moved his fingers in and out of Kaoru's making sure to hit Kaoru's prostate each time.

Kaoru felt pressure in the pit of his stomach, and he began to quicken his pace.

"You're close, aren't you?" Kazuki asked with a shudder. "I can feel you clenching around me."

"Mnh, Kazuki, I'm cl-close," Kaoru whined, rocking himself. He could feel Kazuki in him, sucking on his sensitive nipples and against his erection. His feeling and heat was all around Kaoru and it sure did feel like he was being swallowed up.

"Then come," Kazuki said into his ear with a throaty groan. "Let me see your face as you come undone under my touch."

The words got to Kaoru and after one more touch of his sweet spot, Kaoru came hard. He felt the fluid shoot out of him in long, white streams, landing on his hand and hitting Kazuki's abdomen. He felt the euphoric bliss come over him as he grinded down on the fingers inside of him as he rode out his orgasm. It didn't take long for Kazuki to follow, giving a grunt and moan before releasing his load.

Kaoru slouched against Kazuki with a sigh, feeling all of the energy drain out of him. His breathing was labored and he could feel Kazuki's own hot and heavy breaths in his ear. One arm was over Kazuki's shoulder and the other lies limply at their side.

It took Kazuki not more than a minute before he was already beginning to stand. Kaoru tried to get off of him in his sluggish motions, but Kazuki only held onto him. "Don't let me drop you," he said, before standing up fully while still holding Kaoru like a child. Kaoru was too dazed to say a word and just allowed himself to be carried in Kazuki's strong arms. Kazuki brought them into the bathroom and started the water in the large tub after sitting Kaoru on the toilet.

Kazuki sat before Kaoru, sweaty hair matted to his forehead, breathing a bit hard, fluids on his abdomen, but still smiling with a giddy grin. He ran his clean hand through his hair, brushing the bangs away from his face and casually leaning back with his hand supporting him. "That was fun," he said with a chuckle after giving a heavy sigh. "You good?"

"Hmm," Kaoru nodded with a hum, feeling his eyelids growing heavy.

"Don't fall asleep now," Kazuki said. "You still need to wash up."

Kaoru gave another nodded. "It felt so… good."

"It did," Kazuki said. "And you were fucking hot as hell." He gave Kaoru a wink before stand up and checking the water. "Come on, let's get in."

Kazuki aided Kaoru in getting into the tub, the hot water eased his muscles. Kazuki sat with Kaoru between his legs, and Kaoru was grateful for it, allowing himself to rest against Kazuki's study chest. He felt himself begin to drift off as Kazuki washed him, enjoying the tender care.

"Is your butt okay?" Kazuki asked sincerely.

Kaoru looked down at the water, feeling embarrassed. "It's fine."

"You don't have to be embarrassed about it," Kazuki said, running the washcloth over Kaoru's shoulder and down his arms. "I know how it feels, so damn good you lose yourself. Believe me, I have been in your position several times."

"You have?" Kaoru asked in shock, turning to see Kazuki.

A chuckled left Kazuki's lips as he gave a nod. "Yeah, is it that surprising?"

"Well, kinda."

"How so?"

"It's just, you seem so… dominate. I wouldn't think you'd be, uh…"

"The bottom," Kazuki finished, giving a small laugh. "Are you serious? I don't know why I'm surprised about it." He leaned back in the tub, looking up at the ceiling. "I much more used to being the bottom, I'll tell you that. I've topped a few times, both feel pretty good."

Just how experienced was Kazuki? By the way he spoke about it, it seemed to Kaoru that Kazuki had a fair share in sexual acts. It made him wonder even more about his past and what his life was like. Did he get with people often or did he have a long time lover? If so, what happened to him?

"What are you thinking about?" Kazuki asked with a curious tone, running the cloth down Kaoru's chest.

"Who taught you all this?" Kaoru asked before thinking and instantly wanted to take the words back. He thought it was something too personal to ask, but Kazuki didn't seem phased by it.

"My old boyfriend," he said nonchalantly, but it seemed like that was all he wanted to say on it. Kaoru nodded but squeaked when Kazuki passed over his limp member.

"Sorry," Kazuki said. "Still sensitive?"

"Hmm," Koura replied.

Kazuki snaked his arms under Kaoru's and wrapped them around the younger boy's abdomen, leaning his head on Kaoru's shoulder. "You really were amazing, Kaoru." Kazuki gave a nip of Kaoru's neck, and despite the hot bath, Kaoru shivered.

"Th-thanks," Kaoru said and hesitantly placed his hand over Kazuki's. "You too."

* * *

Before he knew it, Kazuki was packing his bags for the flight back home. The trip had been fun, and spending so much time with Kaoru was a bonus that he was grateful for. He had yet to tell Sayuri or Aiko about him spilling his secret, but he rather no one knew. Reiji was the only person that knew Kazuki said something, and it was because of his little deal with Kaoru, but Reiji promised to keep his lips closed. Reiji never said anything about what he said to Kaoru the second morning of the trip. He acted the same as always and even hung around Kaoru without something seeming off.

Unlike the last times, Kaoru didn't act strangely around Kazuki. He didn't avert his gaze or flinch at the slightest touch, and it made Kazuki overjoyed that they didn't have to take down the wall once more that seem to form when sexual tension got a bit too high. If anything, Kaoru seemed to be popping up more often and Kazuki didn't mind it in the slightest. Kazuki was hoping that Kaoru was becoming more interested in him as a person and wasn't seeing him up as a good time. It was hard for Kazuki to actually believe that that would be the case, but the thought still nagged at him a bit. What was truly nagging was that Hikaru seemed relentless about making it quite clear he was liking Kazuki less and less as the days went by. From glaring at Kazuki to shamelessly dragging Kaoru away, it was becoming noticeable to others as well.

It did feel like a dream to Kazuki in away, reality never seemed to treat him so kindly. But when Kazuki received a text from Kaoru saying that Kazuki had made his trip a million times better and that he wanted to get to know him more, to be a close friend that Kazuki could rely on, that text showed Kazuki that the universe seemed to want to take it easy on him for a little.

"Our theme is what?" Kazuki asked with a cough, the sudden information making him choke on his tea.

"Butler themed," Kyoya said as he pushed up his glasses. "Do you have a problem with it, Kazuki?"

 _Yes, I do. I would much rather not put on a suit and act in the role that I did so in for years. That would just end horribly for me so I much rather just skip and hope that no one misses me too much_. "Not at all."

"Not only that, but we have a surprise," Tamaki announced with joy. "Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai are coming for the day to help with the event."

 _Good, more people to distract the girls for when I make my escape. Should I try for the trap floor that Renge always come out of, or maybe my best shot is the window. I could get some pretty bad injuries from that, but it only gives me an excuse to get out of things. I wonder if Kaoru would nurse me back to health_. Kazuki smirked and gives a low chuckle, rolling the thought over in his mind.

"Kazuki-kun," Haruhi said, snapping the guy out of his thoughts. "What's so funny?"

Kazuki cleared his throat, trying to recover from being caught with his mind elsewhere. "Nothing, so when exactly are we doing the butler theme?"

"Next Monday," Kyoya said, looking at his notebook. "That gives us a good week to let the news spread and attract as many girls as we can. It would be the first time Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai came back, so there's no doubt that it will be an event few would want to miss."

As Kyoya had predicted, the host club was fuller than ever the coming Monday. Girls Kazuki had never seeming to give the place a second glance were rushing to have their sessions. Honey and Mori seemed at home there, and Kazuki was sure that they missed being with their fellow host and having a fun time accompanying the girls.

The extra busy day did not ease Kazuki in the slightest. He felt his gut drop when Kyoya handed him his uniform for the day and wished to burn it. It was similar to the one he was used to, the only true difference was that he didn't wear a colored tie, just a plain black one. Kyoya had nagged him to do something about his hair making Kazuki want to hurt him. Unlike his past uniform, he was not equipped with any weapons, so stabbing the guy wouldn't be the route Kazuki could take. Kazuki combed his bangs back and tied his hair behind his back. Of course, Aiko and Sayuri were there to witness the event.

"Oh, this just brings back memories," Aiko said with a tight smile when she saw Kazuki. "I don't know whether I want you to keep it on or take it off."

"Well, you don't look bad," Sayuri commented. "Just, odd." Sayuri wasn't around when Kazuki worked under Shion, so she never had much to say about things relating to it, which made her feel like an outsider in her friend's life.

Kazuki just gave a sigh. "I just want it to end. It is actually surprising how many girls actually like this."

"Um, hello, butlers and servants are hot," Sayuri said. "Sebastian, Miketsukami, Hayate, Kyon. I am sorry if it sounds insensitive, but it is kind of hot."

Kazuki wanted to protest, but he knew that it was completely biased. He knew that if he had not gone through it, he would have probably had some sort of liking for it. To be honest, there was one night Izumi wanted to serve him and it was actually something Kazuki got really into.

"Okay, I have to some what agree with it," Kazuki admitted.

"Just do your best, Kazu-chan," Aiko said with an encouraging pat.

Kazuki stood up and gave the two girls a bow. "Well, if you will excuse me, my ladies, I have to depart."

Sayuri rolled her eyes with a chuckle and Aiko shooed him away. Kazuki left to two girls to start attending the appointments he had been avoiding. He made his way around, charming the girls from left and right. He did it all with a smile, not wanting to disappoint the people that had spent their money to be with him all the while he was feeling humiliated, to act as if this was a position he was okay with being in for a few hours.

"Would you give me a moment please, my lady?" Kazuki asked the girl he was hosting so he could take a break and clear his head. "I promise to be quick, there's no way I could leave my lady for too long without my heart aches to come back to you."

The girl blush, trying to cover her face with her hands. "Y-You may."

Kazuki stood up, taking her hand and kissed her knuckle. "Thank you, my lady." With that, Kazuki departed from her. He gave a heavy sigh, wanting to leave right then and there. Even just playing at it was annoying, but he had to keep up with the other host and not slack. Honey and Mori even came for the day, so he could not treat the day lightly.

"Kazuki," a voice said to Kazuki's right.

Kazuki took a breath before turning to the girl. "Yes, mistress?" Kazuki's smile dropped from his face faster than one could have imagined. The whole room went silent as he looked at the girl standing in the doorway in the eyes. Warm honey colored eyes were blown wide, a petite hand covering her agape mouth. Neither of them moved, not even daring to move her eyes, and even their breathing seemed to have stilled.

"Shion," Kazuki gasped.


	16. 16

"What are you doing here?" Kazuki hissed as he slammed the door shut. There was no way, no  _freaking_  way that Shion was there, in front of him. She looked scared and confused, no different from him. "Well!?"

"Don't yell at me," Shion snapped at him, the first words she had said since he dragged her from the host club. She sounded no different from when he used to work for her, her small voice commanding him to do this and that. It felt weird, Kazuki hadn't heard her voice in over a year, yet it felt like no time had passed at all.

Kazuki studied her body language. She was trying to stand straight and composed. No matter what situation she was in, Shion always tried to show as little emotion as possible and have full composure. She had grown a bit taller, which surprised Kazuki, but she was still below average. Her hair was still styled in a pixie cut, held back by a headband like always.

Kazuki paced back and forth, rubbing his temples with a heavy sigh. What the hell was he going to do? "Shion, why are you at Ouran Academy?" Kazuki asked slowly, properly annunciating each words as if he was talking to a child.

"It's my school," Shion said in a way like Kazuki should have known. Kazuki stared hard at her for a moment. She wasn't wearing the uniform and this had never been brought up.

"What do you mean this is your school?" Kazuki countered, lost in what was going on.

"I've been coming to Ouran for years," Shion explained. "I left when you were taken from me."

Kazuki narrowed his eyes in confusion. Nothing was making sense and he wanted to scream. In frustration, confusion, and helplessness, he wanted everyone to hear the result of him holding in his struggles. But he had to stay quiet, he couldn't make any reason for someone to see the two of them together.

"What are you doing here?" Shion countered, crossing her arms.

"Surprise, this is my school too," Kazuki said with dry enthusiasm.

"You're a student?"

"Yeah, is that hard to believe?" Kazuki hissed. "That I am actually smart enough to attend school, that I can actually do more than just take orders from a bratty girl."

"Shut up and look at yourself, Kazuki," Shion demanded. "You are wearing a damn suit for god's sake. What else am I supposed to think when you are dressed like that?"

He groaned, knowing that Shion was justified for her assumption. He even called her 'mistress' like he used to do. Kazuki began to gnaw on his lower lip, trying to think in his confused and panicked state. "Why are you here?"

"I told you I am a stud-"

"Now, Shion, I am asking why are you here  _now_? I haven't ran into you since I have attended the school. Please, if I knew you were a student I would have never agreed to come here."

Shion let out an exasperated sigh. "It was a sudden change of plans. It was planned for me to spend my high school years in England with my uncle. Things didn't work out the first year when I stayed here. Soon after starting my second year, Ryuu came by and took you." She said it in a tone that made it seem like she suffered both a lost and burden, but Kazuki didn't think to believe it was because she truly missed Kazuki. "It was agreed that it would be best to go and send me to England regardless of my family troubles so I could… clear my head from the situation and start fresh. So I stayed in England with Uncle Jacob until recent." Shion's close to composed facade cracked a bit when she took in a slightly shaky breath. "He passed away last week, he was shot."

It felt like a bullet to Kazuki's own chest. It didn't feel real, Shion had to have been lying. But jokes were never Shion's fortune, and she would never say something ill about Jacob, she simply loved and respected him too much.

"How?" Kazuki breathed out, not knowing what else to think. This was the man who took care of Kazuki for a year, taught him things about life, encouraged him to be his own person, who would always give the boy a smile and ruffled his hair when he saw him. There was no way.

Shion shook her head, eyes focused in the distance and Kazuki was positive she was trying to keep herself together. "He was caught in the crossfire of a street shooting." Her voice trembled when she said, "he just stepped out for a light."

For a split second, Kazuki wanted to go and comfort the girl, to pull her into a hug and let her cry on his shoulder like she had done many times before. But this wasn't the same as back then and Kazuki remained where he was.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kazuki said grimly. "it's unfortunate."

"It is," Shion whispered, trying not to let her sadness show. "I wasn't going to be able to stay without him there, so I came back to Japan to finish my schooling."

"At Ouran." Kazuki gave a heavy sigh. This wasn't going to be easy, not by a long shot. He honestly felt like his head was ringing and he just wanted everything to be quiet. Until he noticed it was actually his phone ringing. Whoever was calling had a death wish. Kazuki fished out his phone in frustration, but was secretly grateful for the distraction, until he saw the person. It was official, he was going to kill Kyoya. "Yes?"

"I don't remember you asking to take a break," Kyoya said in an almost mocking tone.

"I had matters to deal with."

"Then you can do that on your break and it seems like you just took that up. Please make your way back to the host club."

"Fine." Kazuki hung up in aggravation, not wanting to even think of the host club at the moment. There wasn't a way on earth he would be able to successfully go through his usual hosting knowing that Shion was there. All he wanted to do was go home, take a long bath, and speak with Ryuu. Kazuki directed his attention back to Shion, who looked about ready to carry on with her business as well.

"I need to return to the host club, Kyoya is being an ass," Kazuki said flatly.

Shion's eyes seemed to be a millimeter away from falling out. " _You're_  the new host?"

Kazuki rolled his eyes. "Yes, I am."  _And the only reason I haven't quit yet is because I get to see Kaoru and it gets kinda fun at times._ "Speaking of the host club, why were you there?"

"I wanted to see Haninozuka-senpai," Shion said, but that seemed like all she was going to give on the matter. She looked at Kazuki, as if sizing him up for the first time. "So, where does this leave us?"

The question was on both of their minds, so it didn't take Kazuki by surprise. He was just conflicted on what to do. Was he supposed to ignore her, what would Aiko do, did she even know? Would this affect his time at Ouran, is it possible for him to have to change schools?

"I am going home," Kazuki finally said. There was no way he would be able to think of what to say or do at the moment, and the last thing he wanted to do was somehow slip up and contradict any future plans.

"That does sound wise," Shion said more to herself than to him. "I'll probably go over our contract, I wonder where father put it."

The contract, Kazuki had completely forgotten about it. It will surely help this dilemma, it had to have said something of what were to happen if something such as this were to occur, Ryuu had been very demanding of what he thought was appropriate for this.

"I'll be going," Kazuki said, leaving the room without even waiting for her to give a reply. Kazuki didn't want to think of what was going to happen or how troublesome things were going to be for him. Not only him, Shion, Aiko, Reiji, Ryuu, Sayuri… Kazuki groaned, feeling a headache begin to form.

Kazuki entered the host club, hoping no one could see the dread he was in. He spotted Aiko sitting at a table with her friend Shiro and Tamaki, who was charming the girls. It was hard for Kazuki to pull her from that happiness, that moment when she was laughing and enjoying herself, but he rather he told her now than her figure out by coming face-to-face with Shion like he had. Aiko was unsurprisingly shocked and anxious, and agreed that she would like to accompany Kazuki back to the house to discuss it with her father. She told Kazuki she would wait at the front and call a car to pick them up. The dread that shadowed her once smiling face made Kazuki's heart ache in sadness.

"Kazuki," Tamaki said as he approached Kazuki, placing a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Kazuki lied. "We just need to head home, family emergency."

The club president nodded his head, looking as if he wanted to say more, but held back. "If you're ever in a pickle, we're here for you." He said it in that selfless and slightly serious tone Kazuki rarely heard from the juvenile blonde.

 _Honestly, you guys are the ones I want to keep this trouble the furthest away from._  Kazuki gave a reassuring nod before heading to the dressing room. There it was again, he was lying to the people he finally became comfortable with. He was such a fake and he couldn't figure out what to do. Kazuki snatched his clothes from where he left them and stepped into one of the dressing rooms, tugging at the curtain a bit too harshly.

Why, why did it always have to come to it? Secrets were already a pain to keep, and then having to lie to keep the world from seeing what should be hidden. And the lies just kept coming and coming until Kazuki constructed a new life for himself to the point he had created something that wasn't even him. It was the person that he wished he could have been, the boy who spent his early teen years in England, who was composed and chill, who could get close to people with ease. That was the Kazuki Hiro everyone thought was real, that was the persona he had to live.

White hot anger burned every nerve in his body as he clenched his shaking fists. Why was he the one who had to go through all of this? Why couldn't Yumi just be happy, why did she leave, why did his grandfather sell him, why did Jacob take care of him only to throw him to Shion, why did she have to hurt him so much, why was she back?

Why?

Why couldn't Kazuki ever just get a break from it all? There always had to be something, he just couldn't live his life with everything that had already happened, no, more had to be piled up until Kazuki would break under the pressure.

Kazuki didn't know anything was wrong until he felt something touching his arm, or maybe it was the frantic voice beside him. The student looked over, a familiar pair of brown eyes looked at him with worried and he could hear a harsh yet concerned tone but no words were processing. Finally, a heated pain went through Kazuki's cheek, making everything come into focus.

"Kazuki, what the hell?" Sayuri snapped, her words hitting Kazuki as hard as her hand had. "Pull yourself together!"

"Why?" Kazuki yelled back, his voice ragged and enraged, still unable to get a true grip on reality with anger still storming in his mind. "Why do I have to, just to fall apart again, just so life can knock me back down just because it can? Why does life have to knock me down each time I stand?"

"Because life isn't fair, Kazuki," Sayuri retorted with equal fervor. "But what good is it to sit and do nothing, huh? Tell me Kazuki, tell me if you rather lie down and allow all the crap of life run all over you. The Kazuki I know stood up after every challenge, every conflict, every damn situation that would have broken any other person." Sayuri took Kazuki's chin in her hand and forced him to look into her eyes. "You've been to hell on many occasions, so freaking own it and learn from it, because it is one of your greatest accomplishments, Kazuki."

Sayuri would always have this effect on Kazuki, until the end of time. She could be teasing, mean, prying, bossy, or even straight up demanding, but she was the closest friend Kazuki had ever had. Her ability to pull Kazuki out of any negative mind set with reasoning was almost supernatural. She didn't sugarcoat things, she didn't tell him to look away from the bad, but embrace it and move on.

"Sayuri," a voice said frantically, nearing the girl and Kazuki. Kazuki looked over and saw Kaoru, panicked and holding something close to his chest before handing it over to Sayuri.

"Thank you, Kaoru," Sayuri said with a nod before turning back to Kazuki. "Come on, let's fix you up."

"Fix me up…" Kazuki trailed off, not understanding what she meant. He looked over at Kaoru, who was covering his mouth in shock, eyes staring down. Kazuki followed the twin's eyes to his left hand, which was bloodied and had a few shards of glass in it. He lifted his left fist and he could feel the numb pain from his injuries. As Kazuki stepped out of the dressing room, he caught the remains of the mirror, the left over, shattered pieces reflected his distorted figure.

The blonde guided her friend to a small seating area in the back, telling him to sit and rest his hand on the table. Sayuri opened the first aid kit, and took out a few things and then proceeded in taking out the bits of glass still in his hand with a pair of tweezers. Kazuki noticed Kaoru hovering around them a bit awkwardly, obviously concerned yet hesitant.

"It doesn't really hurt," Kazuki said to the boy, trying to calm him.

"Are you okay?" Kaoru finally asked. "You must have been really upset."

Kazuki gave a deep sigh. "Honestly, I'm not okay right now, but I hopefully will be soon." Just admitting that to Kaoru made Kazuki feel better. He wasn't a complete liar, even the simple truth eased him, if only a little. "You should go tell Kyoya what's up, and make sure that the girls are okay." Kazuki figured that they must have heard him break the mirror, which undoubtedly raised people's concerns.

Kaoru nodded, but didn't move. "Do.. do you need to talk about anything?" Kaoru asked, making Kazuki's heart sink. The guy actually did care about Kazuki, and all he wanted to do was take Kaoru's hand and run out the room with him, away from his troubles and everything that could possibly hurt either one of them. Just for it to be the two of them with their happiness and their own lives, where no one else can harm them or bring misfortune. But that wasn't likely, that was a fantasy that Kazuki knew he could never live.

"Not right now," Kazuki said grimly. "But I will text you. I-I do want to talk ab- ow!" Feeling started to come back to reality, he felt Sayuri poke him a bit to hard on accident, which she apologized for with a small smile.

Kaoru cringed a little at Kazuki's pain, as if he could also feel the shard glass in his own body. "Okay, I'll be going." The student turned around and left the back room areas, leaving Sayuri and Kazuki.

The two sat in silence for a moment, Sayuri cleaning Kazuki's hand and wrapping it and Kazuki going over things in his own mind. It was a lot to take in and all he really wanted to do was talk to Ryuu about it all. He needed advice as much as he needed answers. One thing that kept nagging at him was why he was sent to Shion's old school. Didn't anyone notice the connection and thought to bring it up?

"So what exactly has you like this?" Sayuri asked as she packed away the things.

Kazuki inspected her work, kind of surprised on how well she did. "I saw a bug on the mirror and was determined to kill it."

Sayuri rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Kazuki, you're making me worry."

"Shion is here," he said bluntly, studying his friend for a reaction. It did take her aback a little, but not much.

"Well, that is surprising," Sayuri said. "Am I allowed to meet her? I would like to know who I will have to kill later."

"Her family is with the yakuza."

"She made you upset, hell, she made your life hell. I don't care if she  _was_  the yakuza, I still think she deserves a lot of pain."

"What happened to watching your language?"

"That applies to you, not me."

"Unfair."

"Life isn't fair," Sayuri said. "If it was, your parents would be happily raising you, my father would still be alive, there would be world peace, and all our OTPs would be canon."

Kazuki gave a solemn nod. Maybe that was why Sayuri was so strong when it came with dealing with the unfairness of life. She had learned at a young age that things happen out of her control and she can only move on with it as an experience.

"She's short, tan, pixie cut hair, honey colored eyes, and pretty snotty," Kazuki listed, as he stood up from the chair. "I think I will just take the outfit with me it seems too much of a hassle to try and change now. I just want to leave."

"That is reasonable," Sayuri said. "Just make sure you tell Kyoya first or he may have you pay for it."

Kazuki groaned at the thought of having to even talk to the older student. That would just make the day all the more taxing and he knew that the moment he even made eye contact with Kyoya he would start a game of twenty questions that Kazuki would be unable to get out of.

"I'll just tell him you took the thing because it would hurt a bit too much to take it off right now. I am sure he will understand. Just make sure you bring it back clean so he has nothing to complain about," Sayuri said with a shrug. "You should really get going, Aiko is probably worried and I think you need a bit of distance from this place."

Kazuki gave his best friend a smile. "Thanks, sayuri, for everything."

"No problem, just know that you owe me."

"Isn't my friendship and company enough?"

Sayuri laughed as if Kazuki told the funniest joke she had ever heard. "Yeah right. Just know you owe me a favor, so if I asked something completely strange of you, you have no right to deny it."

Kazuki rolled his eyes. There was no way to get rid of her, but he doubted he would ever want to.

* * *

Kazuki waited impatiently in Ryuu's office, his mind refusing to settle. He called the man as soon as he got into the car with Aiko, explaining the situation. The elder man was calm and just told Kazuki to calm down and relax on the way back home. He assured the two students that he would speak with them as soon as they got home. Now Kazuki and Aiko were in Ryuu's office. Aiko looked sad, a bit worn out from the emotional shock the day had faced her with. Kazuki was unusually jittery, bouncing his leg and looking around, not even touching the tea he had requested. Ryuu was calmly looking through some files, probably looking for the contract.

"Kazuki, you never told me what happened to your hand," Ryuu said, not even looking up from the files he was leafing through.

Kazuki looked down at his hand. "I believe I punched a mirror."

Ryuu clicked his tongue in disapproval, but he still chuckled. "You've always had a problem keeping that anger of yourself tamed. It's not a bad thing per se, but lashing out has a place and time"

Kazuki tried to remain respectful, but he did not feel like being lectured at that moment. Aiko must have seen the unamused expression he had, because she took his uninjured hand in hers and gave it a small squeeze.

"Dad, how could you be so calm right now," Aiko said, her first words since entering the room. She had her very uncommon serious expression on and her tone had none of the carless bubbliness it usually held.

Ryuu smiled, causing the wrinkles in his face to be more prominent. "When you have been in business as long as I have, you learn to take pressure and use it to your advantage. That, or you work well to hide it. Ah, here it is," Ryuu pulled out a folder and placed it on the table in front of the two students. "The contract we signed, if you remember."

How could they forget? It was such a changing point in their lives, making them think back to the days when Kazuki was nothing but a servant to Shion and Aiko only saw him a few times a week.

"When things come up in the business world, things that cause an uproar, the first place you look to find how to solve it is the beginning. Whether that be the beginning of the problem or the beginning of the situation depends on the type of predicament that you are in. For us, it is best if we start with this."

Ryuu was there to help them make the contract a few years back. Aiko and Kazuki both wondered why Shion's father wasn't involved, but they knew better than to ask. Shion was a stubborn girl that would do what she wanted and not want to be questioned. If she wished that her father to be there, she would have asked for him to be. Kazuki had a feeling that she didn't want him to see her at that point, giving up what she had worked so hard for. It might have been embarrassing for her.

"So we are going to read through the contract and find what to do?" Kazuki asked, hoping that it would be as simple as that. He honestly didn't remember much from it, just most of the main points that absolutely had to put in place.

"Not exactly," Ryuu said. "Aiko, Kazuki, you both know I love you very much, you are my children and mean the world to me. I could not live if something were to happen to you."

The way Ryuu was acting immediately made Kazuki feel a wave of dread. Ryuu's tone and words sounded ominous, trying to build up trust before he was going to tear it away.

"Dad," Aiko said sternly. "What did you do?" Her words were laced with apprehension, maybe she knew this tactic of her father's all too well and didn't want to postpone the inevitable.

Ryuu gave a tight smile. "Ah, you've always been like his Aiko, so much like your mother. She hated when I doodled." He took a breath. "To be honest, I sent Kazuki to Ouran Academy knowing full well that Shion may go back."

"What!?" the siblings exclaimed, Kazuki nearly jumping out of his seat.

Ryuu put a hand up before Kazuki could speak. "Please, allow me to explain. Aiko did have a lot of questions about it when I told her I was sending you to the academy. Her and Shion had gone there for their first year and she was anxious about Shion coming back. I knew what I was doing and asked her not to tell you, Kazuki."

Kazuki's jaw dropped and he looked at Aiko with an incredulous look. She looked guilty and didn't meet his eyes. She knew there was a chance for the encounter to happen.

"My hand was a bit tied when it came to the matter, which I won't bore you about. Thankfully, I am on the good side with Yuzuru Suoh, so I was able to get a few benefits for Kazuki, allowing his condition to go unnoticed to others."

"Where does Shion come in, Dad?" Aiko interrupted. Kazuki stole a glance at her, noticing how tense she was. Of course it was to be expected, but it seemed so odd.

The elder man took a deep sigh. "I don't want to treat you two as kids, you've been through plenty to know the world isn't fair and wonderful, especially you, Kazuki. I will be frank, so please forgive my apathy. I have never been on good terms with Shion's father, Nori Miyu. I did not like him, but for some reason my wife was quite fond of his wife. I was and still am not the man that likes to take away the happiness from those I love, so I allowed her to keep connection with who she liked. It really did concern me when Aiko became friends with Shion. I didn't want to be connected to the yakuza anymore than I already was, they play dangerous games. I wanted to break off connection after my wife's passing, but pulling Aiko away from Shion wasn't something I wanted to do, not at the time when she needed a friend."

Aiko's hands clenched tightly to each other, Kazuki could tell she was holding in her words and feelings.

"But then the whole thing with Kazuki happened and we decided that we needed to put a contract in place. I have worked with many contracts in my life, I know how to play with words and find the loopholes. Yes, I did take advantage of the fact that I was the only adult there, but there was no way I was going to let the Miyus have the upper hand." Ryuu opened the folders and seemed to find the spot almost immediately and began to read outloud. "If one party enters the terrain of the other party, the intruding party is the breacher of the contact prevention section"

"Terrain?" Kazuki questioned.

"You see, Aiko already told me that Shion was supposedly going to Europe, so I had a hunch she would leave after everything happened, which she did. You are now enrolled at Ouran, which she isn't. That being said, she is the one that entered your terrain."

Ryuu flipped a page, looking in the area under Contact Prevention. "If broken, the breacher of the contract must allow any necessary acts taken by the other party to keep all protected and safe."

The words hung in the air for a moment.

"To put this in simple words, Shion breached the contract and know we have the upper hand on the matter."

"It was a win-win for us," Aiko mumbled. "If Shion never came back to Ouran, nothing on the matter would have changed. If she did, then she is the one at fault and we are able to deal with the situation however we see fit."

" _Win-win_ ," Kazuki echoed with a tensed voice. "Win-win, that is what we are calling it? I do not count her coming back into my life as a win. You know what she had done to me, what I went through when I was with her, and you're just going to let her back in my life that easily? Do you know how this feels, how stressed I am right now? All so you can get to pull the rug out from a family you didn't like? You ithis and never even told me."

"Kazuki," Ryuu said, placing a hand on kazuki's shoulder. The teen quickly hit it off with an infuriating glare.

"Of course there was a gain for you," Kazuki said, feeling his rage filled words quake. "There's no such thing as kindness when it comes to adults, just opportunities to get more." The betrayal was stabbing into Kazuki, the blades of fiery white fire paining him like a million sun. "I was just a tool for you to get back at them!"

The words dented the emotionless expression on Ryuu, showing his hurt and pain. "You know that isn't true."

"Kazu-chan, please," Aiko said, her words warm and pleading for him to listen. "Don't say things like that, we care about you."

"Like how you told me that Shion attended Ouran and there was a chance that she could have come."

He knew it, there was no way that things could have been so great. Kazuki was being played like a puppet again. He thought he had his strings cut, but they were simply replaced by someone else's.

Kazuki stood abruptly, glaring at Ryuu with the heat of the sun. "You are a coward and a selfish person. You used us without regarding our own feelings. You're playing with our lives like pawns and did not care about the aftermath on us." Kazuki tone dropped as he gave the man a deadly glower. "You're despicable." Kazuki began to walk towards the door, not trusting himself to stay in the room for a moment longer. The last thing he needed to do was let his anger out by breaking something else, or worse, hurting someone.

"Kazu-chan," Aiko called, making her adoptive brother stop. He looked over, seeing that her eyes were glassy and hands were shaking. "You can't… you can't say that."

"You're no better than him," Kazuki spat. "You knew everything, yet you didn't tell me anything. You are just like him, which isn't surprising. I'm glad I don't have such traitorous blood in me."

Kazuki left the room, leaving the two in a large stunned silence. There was never a time when they thought of Kazuki than less than family, so for him to say such cruel words without remorse, it hurt in a way they couldn't have thought of. Kazuki didn't know of it though, because he was already making his way out of the halls and corridors of the elegant manor and out the door. The sun was beginning to set, casting a shadow over the garden. Kazuki ran until his lungs seemed to threaten to collapse and his body was screaming for him to stop.

Kazuki rested when he reached the end of the property, collapsing by the gate as he heaved for air. He lied on the grass, the small blades brushing against his cheeks and hands as he stared up into the sky. Kazuki closed his eyes, feeling so tired of it all. He was so drained, physically, mentally, and emotionally that he quickly drifted into a sleepless slumber.

It would have been fine if Kazuki stayed asleep for a bit longer in his worriless sleep, but his body began to wake from its dormant state. The student soon stirred awake, groaning and spitting when he tasted grass in his mouth. Slowly, he sat up a and looked around, silently questioning why he was outside until it all came back to him.  _I guess if I am tired enough, I can go to sleep anywhere._

Kazuki sat up with a yawn, not really wanting to go back inside and see his family. He didn't think he would be in a rageful mood again, but the underlying anger was still there, simmering lightly inside his heart. Getting his phone out to check the time, Kazuki was surprised to see how many missed calls he had received, a total of fourteen plus forty-seven messages. He rubbed his eyes as he scrolled through them, a majority were unsurprisingly from Aiko, a few from Sayuri, both to be expected. What caught Kazuki's attention was a single miss call from Kaoru. The twin was concerned enough to leave Kazuki a voicemail, which he quickly listened to.

"Oh my god," Kazuki heard Kaoru say in worry. "Um, hey Kazuki. I hope you're ok, you left the host club really abruptly and I am… I am worried about you. I that you were dealing with something, and I get that. It can be really hard to go through things and it can be overwhelming." Kaoru's voice sounded sad and Kazuki was going to tell him it will be ok, but the recording wouldn't hear him. "If you need someone to talk to, just call me. My phone is always on for you, 'kay? So please, please call me back."

Kazuki's heart sunk at the words. He could hear the genuine concern and worry laced in Kaoru's words. Before he could even get an explanation in his head, Kazuki's fingers were hitting the call button. The phone wasn't even able to go through the second ring before it was connected.

"Kazuki?" the twins voice said, alert and a little relieved. Kazuki could picture the panic smile on Kaoru's face.

"Hey, Kaoru," Kazuki said softly. Just saying his name made Kazuki feel like a large weight was taken off of him. "Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm doing fine. But I am more concerned about you. You left so suddenly and you were hurt. What happened, did someone bother you? You can tell me anything. Oh, but don't think that I am pressuring you to tell me. You have already told me a lot, and if that's all you are comfortable with saying I am fine."

Kazuki smiled softly at Kaoru's concern. It was so pure and caring, and Kazuki couldn't fault him for anything. The twin had just been so kind towards Kazuki for so long, making all Kazuki's problems seem so much smaller. But now Kazuki had to figure out what to tell him. No matter what it was, it had to be the truth.

"I ran into someone today," Kazuki told Kaoru after a moment of silence. "It really... _really_  upsetted me, but I had no control over the situation. And I have a bit of, uh, anger control issue at times, so I couldn't really control what my fist made contact with."

It took a little while for Kaoru to say something. "Kazuki, is there anything I can do for you?"

'Come here right now and hold me. I need to feel like I am being held and promise not to let me go. Don't walk away, don't answer the door when people ask what's wrong, don't even move to become more comfortable, just hold my body. Cage me with your arms, let me be consumed by your warmth until I feel like I am being touched by the sun,' Kazuki wanted to say, but it sounded more like, "Not right now, I'll be fine."

Kaoru must have seen Kazuki holding his phone in a death grip, or maybe he was used to Kazuki's character. "Are you sure? Kazuki, please, I know you have been through a lot, let me help you."

Why was he so compassionate? It made Kazuki feel unworthy of his attention, yet he wanted all of it. "Make sure Kyoya stays off my back for a little, that would really help."

"I can keep doing that." Kaoru's voice became more assertive. "Because I care for you and want to make you feel better."

"Thank you, Kaoru," Kazuki whispered into the phone. "I'm going to go now, thank you for calling me earlier."

"No problem. So promise me you will let me help you."

Kazuki gave a nod. "Of course, see you tomorrow." Kazuki hung up the phone and gave a deep sigh. The truth was finally unravelling itself. After so many layers of lies and deception, the core was just about to be glanced at.

That was right, Kazuki lied, lied so many times. He couldn't get mad at Aiko for something that he did nearly everyday. Just like how he kept things to himself, it was simply to keep others from hurting. Aiko was just like him, of course she wouldn't want to keep secrets from him, he couldn't blame the girl, not when he felt the struggle nearly everyday. And to accuse her of not caring for him, that was just horrible. Aiko was one of the most important people to Kazuki, and she knew that she felt the same way.

Kazuki got himself from the ground, dusting himself off. He headed in the direction of the manor. He couldn't keep running from it, he head to face it all. Kazuki would deal with Shion.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s been a while. But I’m back to writing this abomination I love

Kaoru was walking around the room, worrying about what to do. Kazuki said that he was okay, but Kaoru had a gut feeling that he wasn't. Then again, every time Kazuki was in Kaoru's mind his stomach felt like it was doing acrobatics. But this wasn't the warm feeling like he had breathed in helium and could float away, this was a heavy feeling of dread like he had swallowed lead balls that were weighing down his stomach.

Would Kazuki mind if Kaoru came? The twin would want to think that he was on a level of comfort with Kazuki that he wouldn't mind a visit. Then again, whatever he was going through seemed serious. But if they were friends Kazuki should be okay telling him. Kaoru shouldn't be pushy though, it wasn't his place to do that.

"Forget it," Kaoru shouted to himself as he stomped over to his closet, discarding his house clothes in the process. He was going over, whether Kazuki wanted him there or not. Even if Kazuki was going to turn him away, Kaoru had to at least try.

"Hikaru," Kaoru called out as he walked towards the door. He heard a response from inside the room as he neared the door. Kaoru opened the door, calling out "I am leaving."

"I am leaving," Hikaru said simultaneously as he stood face to face with his twin. The two gave each other a look, wondering where the other was going. After the field trip, they had lingering tension, but the less they spoke about it the less it seems to choke them into silence.

Hikaru looked his brother up and down for a moment before leaning against the doorframe, blocking Kaoru's way. "Are you going to go see Kazuki."

"Yeah," Kaoru said much more confidently than he thought he could.

Hikaru sighed and Kaoru knew immediately what he was going to say. "Kaoru, you really shouldn't."

"Hikaru, stop," Kaoru said dismissively, getting sick of his brother.

"Kaoru I am being serious. He...he can't be trusted."

Kaoru gave his brother a hard stare. The way he said it wasn't out of petty jealousy or annoyance. "What do you mean?"

Hikaru looked around as if he wanted to make sure his words were only heard by his brother. "I'm not sure if I am supposed to tell you anything, but just don't trust him. He has a lot of secrets, and I just know that something is up with him. I don't think it is good for you to be around him."

Kaoru narrowed his eyes at his brother. "What do you mean you are not supposed to tell me anything?"

"I can't say."

Kaoru gave a dry laugh. "You want to say Kazuki isn't trustworthy because he keeps secrets, but look at you." Kaoru walked passed his brother, giving him a glare from behind. "I know Kazuki is a bit different, but that only means he needs someone when people like you are trying to demonize him."

Kaoru sat alone in the greeting room he had been in before. To be honest, he felt quite dumb just coming up to the Hiros' household and expecting to see Kazuki. The butler told him that Kazuki was with his father in the study, but suggested that Kaoru could wait if he really wanted to see Kazuki. Of course, the twin said he would wait, Kaoru already gathered enough courage to come over and there was no way he was going to leave.

Mindlessly going through things on his phone, Kaoru looked up when he heard the door being opened. In stepped Kazuki, his hair brushed back so his bangs we out of his face and dressed in a tan suit with a brown tie.

"I'm sorry for the wait," Kazuki said, his eyes focused on buttoning his sleeve. "I didn't expect you to be here s- Kaoru?" Kazuki stopped mid-sentence when he made eye contact with Kaoru.

"Hey, Kazuki," Kaoru said sheepishly. Maybe he did make a bad decision, it seemed like Kazuki was already expecting someone. "Seems like I came at a bad time."

Kazuki gave a soft smile. "No, you're fine." He looked at the watch on his wrist. "I'm meeting someone in an hour, but it wouldn't be surprising if they arrived early." Kazuki directed his attention back to Kaoru and the twin could promise that his heart skipped for a moment. "Would you like to go sit in my room?"

Kazuki's room. As in the place where Kazuki spends most of his personal time. A closed off, private area…

Kaoru blinked his eyes a few times, trying to keep his mind from wandering. "Sure, why not?" Kazuki gave another one of his million dollar smiles and motioned for Kaoru to follow him. Kaoru tailed Kazuki as they left the room and went to the upstairs bedrooms. It was Kaoru's first time really seeing the inside of the estate, but it wasn't different from those of its type.

The two made it to the second floor and Kazuki guided Kaoru to his room. Kaoru was a bit surprised that Kazuki's room didn't seem very personalized. It had a bed at one end of the room, on the other a TV with a couple of bean bag chairs, a shelf with books besides a working desk, and two doors leading to the bathroom and closet.

"You're lucky my room is actually clean for once," Kazuki said as he fell into a beanbag.

Kaoru gave a smile and sat in the other one. "I wouldn't be able to complain, I am your unexpected guest of the evening."

"Sometimes the universe allows you a break and gives you what you want," Kazuki said. "And I swear, there's no other thing that I want than to be with you right now."

There it was again, the knot in Kaoru's stomach that just wouldn't go away. Kazuki's kind words or smile looping and tightening the knot until it felt like it was going to restrict his lungs and he wouldn't be able to breathe.

"So what brings you here this lovely evening?" Kazuki asked. "Or should I assume it is because of what happened earlier?"

"It is." Kaoru gave his friend and fellow host a solemn look. "You said that you weren't okay, but that you would be later. And, uh, I know that there are things you can't tell other people." _And you have no idea how happy I feel that you actually told me about your problems because it makes me feel like I am actually important to you_. "I...I want you to really know that I am here for you."

Just looking at Kazuki, Kaoru could see the tension and the worry slowly melt away. Kazuki's shoulders fell a little and he gave a smile that said 'thank you, just, thank you.'

"You're dear to me Kazuki and seeing you sad or scared or straight up enraged, it makes me feel like I have to help you. You're a friend, heck you are more than a friend to me." Kaoru felt his words getting ahead of his mind, but he couldn't find the breaks to this flow of feelings. This totally wasn't the time to be spilling his feelings, not when Kazuki was going through such a tough time, but Kaoru wanted to make at least this be one thing clear in the chaotic world he knew Kazuki was living in. "What Reiji mentioned at the hotel, I… I have no intention of playing you, or stringing you along in anyway. Like you said before, you are special to me also." _Oh god, what am I supposed to say now? I love you? Do I? Ugh, I shouldn't have even said any of that, way to go Kaoru._

"Kaoru, I-"

"Let's go out," the twin quickly blurted out. Kazuki's eyes went wide and he backed up a little as if the loud remark had physically forced him back.

"Not going-out-going-out, like, let's go out and do something," Kaoru nervously tried to clarify. "You need a break, things are stressful, and you need a moment to just collect everything and breath. So, uh, we should go do something to clear your mind." _I am so bad at this, what are am even saying. Just cause Kazuki more problems why don't you._

Suddenly, a laugh filled the room. Kaoru stopped overthinking everything as Kazuki went back in his chair laughing. It was loud and heavy and sounded like the best possible thing that Kaoru had ever heard. Every time felt like hearing it anew and Kaoru was helplessly addicted to it. The older student held his stomach as he tried to catch his breath, but with one look at Kaoru, he was already laughing again. Kaoru's fumbling attempt of comfort must have been the funniest thing for Kazuki even though Kaoru felt like he was on the outside of this inside joke.

Kaoru looked away with a nervous smile. "I guess it does sound like a joke."

"No, no it is fine," Kazuki said as he finally regained his composure. "Going out, it sounds so wonderful right now, so...so simple." His large grin turned into a humble smile. "That sounds perfect, I would love to go out with you."

Kaoru had to take a moment in his own mind to clarify to himself that it was not a date, although Kazuki saying it that way only made Kaoru want to take back his words. He wondered if Kazuki even took in all of the feely garbage he had said or if Kazuki was finally seeing the mess Kaoru had become. What he had become because of Kazuki.

"Okay, that is good," Kaoru said aloud more to himself than to Kazuki. "I can take you out. That is the least that I can do for you when all of, um, whatever it is going on."

Kazuki gave Kaoru a soft look that made the twin want to sink into his beanbag.

"I will tell you this, Kaoru, you make me smile, a lot," Kazuki said. "And for a long time, I didn't do a lot of smiling. And if I did, it was really forced. When I am with you though, I find it that I can't stop to the point that my cheeks hurt and I hate it. It isn't something I wouldn't give up, not even for a life supplies of chocolate."

Right as Kaoru was going to say something he knew he shouldn't, a knock came from the door. Both of the boys turned to the door for a moment, being taken from their own world and back to reality.

"Kazuki, are you here?" a female voice came from the other side. Kazuki whispered a name under his breath that Kaoru didn't catch as the older student went to his bedroom door.

Kazuki opened the door and Kaoru could see his eyes filled with excitement. "Qin!" Kazuki said as his face was stretched in a large smile. Kaoru saw Kazuki reach out his hands and a second later was holding a black and white rabbit. A giggle was heard from outside the door as Kazuki rubbed his cheek against the rabbit with such a heart melting look.

"Thank you so much, Matilda," Kazuki said with genuine emotion.

"It is never a problem, Kazuki," the woman outside the door, Matilda, said. "Is there anything you need?"

"Can you bring hot chocolate for two." Kazuki looked over to Kaoru and the twin could see the glossiness of his eyes like he was going to cry. "Is there anything you need, Kaoru?"

Kaoru saw Matilda lean in through the doorway, her curious eyes meeting Kaoru's. "So that is the famous Kaoru?"

Kaoru blushed as Kazuki shooshed the maid, telling her not to say anything. Did Kazuki really talk about him? Kazuki was close to Matilda from what he told Kaoru, so maybe he talked about Kaoru to her. Was it often enough that she would actually remember him?

"Sorry about that," Kazuki said as he came back to where he was sitting earlier with Kaoru. "Matilda talks a lot."

"It is fine," Kaoru said, looking at the rabbit still cradled in Kazuki's arms. "So this is Qin."

"Oh, yeah. He ran out of my room earlier because Aiko left my door open. They had to find him before he got lost somewhere. He usually doesn't go anywhere when I'm around."

"Maybe he was looking for you," Kaoru said, petting the rabbit's head. "He was probably feeling lonely or something and wanted to find his favorite person."

Kazuki nodded. "Would you like to hold him?"

"Can I?"

"Yeah, here." Kazuki shifted his arms so that he could hand the pet off to his friend. Kaoru quickly outstretched his hands so the rabbit could be placed in them. Qin didn't resist as he was passed onto a new set of arms. Although they were cute and all, Kaoru never really held a rabbit before so he wasn't sure if Qin would try to jump out of his hands or even bite him.

"He's pretty calm," Kazuki said as he pet the animal. "And he likes being held, so feel free to cuddle him."

Kaoru felt the small animal breathing against him, its soft fur tickling his bare arms and its whiskers grazed his skin. There was something almost therapeutic about the creature he held, how it seemed to be contempt with just sitting in the embrace of someone. "He's so soft."

"Yes, he is," Kazuki said with a smile in the way as if he was talking to a baby. "And look at those floppy ears!"

Qin nudged his head further into the pit of Kaoru's inner elbow, his wet nose tickling the twin.

"Now I see why you love this little fluff ball so much," Kaoru said. "He's so comforting."

Kazuki gave a solemn nod. "They are known for being great companions and are very selective in who they partner with. It's said that if their bonding partner is separated from them or die, the other rabbit would die from a broken heart."

Kaoru looked over at Kazuki who looking longingly at the rabbit.

"Kind of a dramatic way of coping with losing someone," Kazuki said in a joking way.

"Let's hope you don't go missing on him."

The two sat for a little and just talked with the presences of Qin on Kaoru's lap. It was nice for the both of them, just wanting to be in the company of the other. Kaoru couldn't help but look at Kazuki's bandaged hand. He wanted to bad to asks about what really happened in the host club, but he didn't want to ruin the peace of the moment with the troubles that he knew were haunting Kazuki. Qin eventually jumped out of Kaoru's arms and went over to a corner of the room. Matilda walked into the room holding a tray with two steaming cups of hot chocolate and a plate of sweets. She placed it down on the table to the side of Kazuki and looked over at the two boys.

"So you must be Kaoru," she said with a smile, giving a bow. "I am Matilda."

"It's nice to meet you," Kaoru said, offering her a smile.

"I've heard a lot about you and I just want to say that I am very happy to finally meet you."

Kaoru looked over at Kazuki, who didn't look back but stared at the mugs of hot chocolate, a small blush forming on his cheeks.

"That'll be all Matilda," Kazuki said, giving her a look that said 'leave now'.

The two must be close, because the blonde just laughed and exited the room, saying she'd love to see Kaoru more often.

Kaoru himself felt a little embarrassed knowing that Kazuki did, in fact, talk about him.

"Don't listen to her," Kazuki said, passing Kaoru a mug but hesitated for a moment. "Do you drink hot chocolate?"

"Uh, yeah, I do," Kaoru said, accepting the warm drink. "It has been a while though. I can't remember the last time I had any."

"Sorry, would you like something else? I was just feeling… chocolatey."

"It's fine," Kaoru replied, taking a sip. Instantly, the rich chocolate flavor filled his mouth and he couldn't help the moan of delight he made as he drank it. Of course, Kaoru had hot chocolate before, but never as good as this.

"I know, it's amazing," Kazuki said with a smile, taking his own and drinking a little. "I don't know what she does to it, but Matilda has this way of making this stuff, that makes me want it for days on end."

Kaoru studied Kazuki for a moment, enjoying seeing the relaxed side of his friend. He was still dressed, ready for a business meeting, but he looked so at peace with the mug of cocoa in his hands and an expression of pure delight. It felt as if Kaoru only saw it when it was just the two of them, and something deep inside him liked it that way.

Kazuki looked over and caught Kaoru watching him, making the twin blush in embarrassment. Kazuki just chuckled and picked up the bowl of colorfully wrapped candies, offering it to Kaoru. "Caramel?"

"No thanks," Kaoru said, which Kazuki just struggled at. "You really like sweets, almost as much as Honey-senpai."

Kazuki gave a smile as he unwrapped one of the candies. "Maybe not that much. When he was at the host club the other day he was wolfing down the cake like it was some heavenly substance. It actually kind of scared me."

"If you want scary, trying taking it away from him."

"I like living, so I think I will pass on the experience."

"Yeah, you being alive is much more enjoyable," Kaoru said with a joking smile. Kazik gave him a look that Kaoru almost wanted to describe of flirty. The candy Kazuki was opening fell out of its wrapper and the small ball of caramel rolled onto the floor towards Kaoru.

"Damn it."

"I'll get it."

Both students moved towards the escaped candy as it headed towards Kaoru. Kazuki had his hand over the caramel first but was quickly topped by Kaoru's. The twin looked up, shocked that Kazuki's face was only an inch from his own. Turquoise eyes stared back at Kaoru, robbing him of his words and rational thinking.

Within an instant, Kaoru had his lips against Kazuki's relishing in the warming of his friend. Kazuki replayed the kiss, moving his lips along with Kaoru's. Kazuki's mouth was warm due to the cocoa and only made Kaoru desperately want more.

The twin moved closer to Kazuki, placing his hand on the guy's cheek and pulling him in more. Kaoru found himself wondering how someone's lips could be so perfect for no reason. Kazuki nipped Kaoru's lower lip, making the twin feel as if Kazuki was trying to bite it off. Kaoru couldn't lie, the thought only made him want to press on more.

Kaoru parts his lips, allowing Kazuki to snake his tongue in. Kaoru could taste the chocolate on his tongue and wanted to have it all. The taste of the delicious drink along with Kazuki's own was enough of a toxin to have Kaoru slowly fall under the spell of lust. Kaoru could feel the warmth resonating throughout his body.

Kazuki tried to pull away, but Kaoru was not allowing it to end, not yet. Not when it felt so good, when it felt so right. He crashed their lips back together, thrusting his tongue into Kazuki's mouth. He pushed on as if he was going to consume all of Kazuki. Kaoru wanted to have it all, to have him as his own so that he wouldn't have to deal with any of it without Kaoru.

Kaoru's hand went to Kazuki's arm, gripping tightly on Kazuki as if grounding him down in fear that he will float up into the sky and not come back. Kaoru moaned into the kiss as he continued to violently assault Kazuki's mouth with his tongue. If Hikaru was right and Kazuki was some sort of untrustworthy person then Kaoru hoped this made Kazuki know that Kaoru was going to stay no matter what.

Kazuki finally pulled away, breathing heavily. For a second, Kaoru could see the heat in those turquoise eyes before they narrowed like a predator staring at their prey.

"Kazuki, I-" Kaoru started but was interrupted by something being pushed in his mouth. It took him a moment to realize Kazuki had placed two of his fingers in Kaoru's mouth.

"Suck," Kazuki said coldly, his tone sending a chill down Kaoru's spine. He looked up through his lashes at Kazuki before gently sucking on the two digits placed in his mouth.

"You obviously want to use that mouth for something," Kazuki said, staring down at Kaoru. Kaoru felt his face flush as he continued to suck on the fingers. They were long and almost reached the back of Kaoru's throat. The twin licked over them, his tongue going between them, going over each knuckle.

"So tell me, is this why you came over?" Kazuki asked with a questioning tone. "You just wanted to come by and play around with me to get my mind off of whatever it is that is bothering me?"

Kaoru made a disagreeing noise as he shook his head. That wasn't his intention, not at all. He wasn't thinking, this isn't what he planned. His stupid mind just blanked out like it always does when he was around Kazuki.

Kazuki moved his fingers out a little, pulling Kaoru's jaw open. Kaoru could feel his breath coming out more labored and his cheeks were surely flushed a bright pink at that point. Drool was sliding down from Kazuki's fingers and down Kaoru's chin.

"If only you could see yourself," Kazuki said with a smirk, his look making Kaoru's gut twist. "Panting, on your hands and knees, lips around my fingers." Kazuki leaned closer so his lips were by Kaoru's ear. It was almost as if the words themselves were tickling Kaoru's ears and causing his breath to hitch. "I bet you wish they were something else, hm?"

Just like that, Kaoru was completely overpowered by Kazuki's dominating words and made him feel weak in every nerve of his body. Kaoru let out a pitiful whimper, words either unable to come out or even be formed. He could feel the heat and excitement flood throughout his whole body. The want, the need for Kazuki on him, the feeling of Kazuki everywhere that completely consumed Kaoru. He hated being drawn in so easily, his body still not used to the touches, and words and craving every one of them, but he loved giving up his reality to experience the world of touches and feelings.

"But you can't have anything," Kazuki whispered, bringing Kaoru's mind to a screeching halt. Kaoru almost wanted to protest at the unfairness, but he was so shocked into paralyzation.

Kazuki backed away, removing his fingers from Kaoru's slack jaw. The raven placed his hands on either side of Kaoru's face, placing their foreheads together and looking into Kaoru's eyes. The devilish look Kazuki gave the twin made Kaoru want to try and continue what they had started. That damn smirk could make Kaoru do anything if played right.

"I have a meeting to go to," Kazuki said matter-a-factly. "But if you are willing to wait, I will surely make it worth it. If you are too busy, go home, and I'll see you tomorrow."

Kazuki stood up, leaving a stunned Kaoru on the floor, staring at him. The raven leaned down and picked up the forgotten caramel and popped it into his mouth. "Can't let that go to waste." With that, he walked towards the door and left Kaoru in the room with his pent-up desires and a decision to make.


	18. Chapter 18

Kazuki knew that leaving Kaoru there in his room was wrong. Wrong on so many levels. Kazuki knew that kaoru was easy to mess with which in turn meant that he could get hooked on any touch or word Kazuki gave him, and Kazui wanted that. He wanted to trap kaoru with the promise of pleasure, using the younger student's lust as his shackles that will keep him in the room for Kazuki.

Being alone after the meeting, Kazuki just could go through it. He knew he couldn't go to Aiko for comfort, not after what happened earlier. Kaoru was so caring, so considerate, he would wait there for Kazuki even if Kazuki didn't end things the way he did. Making Kazuki feel all the more guilty for doing what he did. He truly didn't deserve someone like Kaoru and all Kazuki always felt himself near ready to burst with emotions whenever he was around the twin. But now wasn't going to be the time to think of such happy moments.

Kazuki went downstair and outside to the gazebo in the garden. The sun was almost fully settled passed the horizon, but the lights in the garden illuminated the area. Kazuki had always appreciated that the area was properly lit for outdoor occasions, he had found himself outside a lot during his first months with the Hiros.

In the gazebo was a table and a pair of chairs for people to sit and enjoy a snack outside in the garden. If only Kazuki was going to face such pleasantries. Sitting in the gazebo was Shion, her back towards Kazuki and a house staff by her side. Kazuki truly wished that he could just turn around and walked back into the manor without Shion seeing him, but he knew that facing her was the only way out of his problem.

"Good evening, Shion," Kazuki said as he sat in the chair across from her. Kazuki made eye contact with the servant that had brought out tea and waited with Shion, telling the man to take his leave.

Shion had been looking over a document on the table, the contract, but then directed her attention to Kazuki. She was dressed for the meeting, wearing a simple dress and headband.

"Kazuki," she said with a nod, her voice serious and lacking any for of compassion. "Are we expecting anyone else?"

"No," Kazuki said curtly. He didn't want anyone else interfering with this affair, not Ryuu, not Aiko. This matter, these problems and mishaps, were between Kazuki and Shion at the moment. There will be no ulterior motives, no way of pulling the rug from under Kazuki years from now. For once, Kazuki was going to be the one that calls all of the shot, and unlike the people did before him, he was making sure to take everyone into consideration.

Shion flipped through her papers with a nod, saying, "there is no need to go through pleasantries, lets us just get to the point."

Kazuki agreed, not wanting to be there a second longer than he needed to. All he wanted was to have her leave and never see her face again. Her lack of empathy during the meeting made it so no one would want to drag it out.

"We will be brief then." Kazuki retrieved his own copy of the contract from where it lasid in the envelope besides him. "If you look near the end of the section listing the terms of the agreement, it say in the fifth line of the paragraph that if one party enters the area of the other, it is the intruder who breached the contact prevention rule." Kazuki looked up from the document to the brown eyes of the girl across from him. "By you coming to Ouran you have entered my area due to me being enrolled there  _after_  you left making it so that it was a neatruel area."

"And as the preacher of the contract I have to obey what terms you have  _fairly_  come up with," Shion started as if it was something she had known her whole life. "So what terms have you come up with, Kazuki?" Her words made the question seems like a challenge, testing to see if Kazuki actually has the guts to boss her around, to be on the other side of the command.

"Simple," Kazuki said. "Leave Ouran Academy immediately. You were there for one day at an open event, no one needs to know that you re-enrolled. You were there for a visit like several other people were and so there is no reason for you need to show back up. Go to whatever school you want to, London, Tokyo, America, I don't care, just leave me and my family alone."

Shion looked at him with a raised brow, seeming almost proud that Kazuki was able to be so demanding and stern with his words. He wasn't going to act as if this was a sort of challenge, he just wanted her out of his hair and far from him. He wanted to get his life together, and having her there would not only present him from going on, but cause him to take a step back. He had said it a lot, that he was going to move on and forget about it all, but Kazuki truly felt it in his heart that he was no longer going to let the past control his future.

"I don't accept," Shion said calmly.

The three words made Kazuki's heart spike. "What do you mean, you don't accept?" Kazuki was beginning to lose his cool a little, the anger in his voice coming out a bit too spitefully to be deemed as professional. Did she honestly think that she could just up and say whatever she wanted, like she was still his superior. He had seen her act like this several times before, like everything had to bend to her word and will. "These are  _my_  terms, you don't have a say in it. According to the contract, yo-"

"I'm not going with the contract," Shion said matter-a-factly.

Kazuki gawked at her with wide eyes, her smug look all he could see. There's no way, he had the upper hand, he was the one that was in change of all of his. He and his family had thought it all out, how could she have gotten to this? She was tied to this contact as much as the rest of them. Kazuki focused back on her smug smile, the small smile haunting him. "You planned this," Kazuki whispered.

"Of course I did," Shion said with an air of confidence. "Do you really think that I was that stupid to allow you guys to actually have the upper hand? You, Ryuu, and Aiko all against me, unfair, don't you think? So, I let you think that you guys were going to pull something over me, me being the 'naive' girl who was 'too upset to think clearly.'" Shion narrowed her eyes at him. "You guys are extremely wrong for trying to do that, so this is my pay back, I reject your proposal and I'm dropping the contract."

Kazuki clenched his fist tightly by his side. "You can't just 'drop the contract', Shion. You signed it, you agreed to these terms that we set in place." It was almost as if Kazuki was trying to find some kind of external force to hold down Shion, to show for once that she didn't have the power she always thought she had.

"Well, no I don't," Shion said wit a shrug of her shoulder. "What are you going to do about it, expose me? We both know that you can't do that."

"Oh, Kazuki, you don't really know much about the business world, especially how the yakuza deals with things." Shion picked up the contract, the physical embodiment of the deals and promises that they had made. "This is nothing but ink and paper in which we give value to. If I want to say this means nothing, then it. Means. Nothing." She dropped it, the paper falling down to the ground, discarded like the care Shion had for it.

Kazuki saw red as he looked at Shion, who looked as cool as ice. Since day one, she had no intention of following it. She allowed them to think they were playing her when she had always had the stings. And if it had worked in her favor, then she could have kept with it like they would have.

"So here's  _my_ proposal," Shion said with a consistent look and all Kazuki wanted to do was punch her right in her little face. "Act as if nothing major ever happened between us. As simple as that. We don't need rules, contracts, or convoluted phrasing of words. I knew you guys since I was little, which is true. I don't need to disguise my life, I lived between Japan and England, which is true whether you would have been involved or not. I don't see why we need to try and make it seem suspicious, that is how people end up wanting to look into it."

"And why do you think I would agree to this?" Kazuki spat.

"Open your eyes, Kazuki," Shion said, rolling hers. "We have the same exact interest here, neither one of us want to be caught. Our families dabbled in human trafficking, that is not something that we want exposed. That is bad even for my family. The question is, what can you possibly do about it, hmmm? Tell on me, in turn exposing yourself? Maybe leve Ouran yourself, that wouldn't hurt me in the slightest." She gave Kazuki a look that made it seem more like she was trying to reason with him and not

"Leave," Kazuki said, the only thing he was able to get out. He couldn't say anything else, what was there left to say? He had played right into her hand and he knew he couldn't do anything,  _she_  knew that.

Shion stood, knowing that she had won the battle. "I'm not the enemy Kazuki, I have the same interest as you do. It isn't my fault your family doesn't know how to play their cards." With those final words, she began to walk down the path that led to the side of the manor that had the gates to exit the property. Kazuki sat by himself for a little, seething in anger. How could she do that? He had been completely played since the very beginning. By Ryuu, by Aiko, by Shion, they all knew exactly how to play the cards and in reality, Kazuki never had any to begin with, he had always had the empty hand. He bolted out of his chair, causing it to fall to the ground although he couldn't care about it in the slightest.

Kazuki quickly made his way back into his house and stormed the stairs to get to his room. The whole manor could have probably heard him, and he couldn't have cared less. He wanted them to be disturbed, for their peaceful evening to be interrupted because of his anger. Why was he the one always suffering? He knew he wasn't the only one, but he couldn't see why the world really enjoyed toying with him in particular. What had he ever done to deserve any of this? No, he didn't have to deserve it, it was just how the world worked and he was too tiny and insignificant for the world to care what happened to him. Kazuki marched into his room, swinging the door open widely only to slam it shut hard enough to cause all the walls to come crumbling down like his state of mind.

"Fuck you!" Kazuki screamed as loud as he could. He could feel all the heat rushing to his face and he was more than liking pink, but what did it matter? Did it ever? Did anything he ever did ever matter in the long run? He could fight, accept, or simply ignore something, but it was still going to happen. Kazuki crunched up into the a ball on the floor, yelling in anger and grabbing fist fulls of his hair. He balled his fist into ball, slamming them onto the ground. Pain shot through his hand from his previous injury, making him shout in pain.

"Kazuki," a worried voice said from behind the angered student. Kazuki turned around and saw Kaoru sitting on the bed, an all too familiar look of concern on his face. Immediately feeling embarrassed for his outburst, Kazuki tucked his head between his knees, hiding his face from the other. Footsteps could be heard coming closer to him, but Kazuki refused to raise his head. There was a moment of silence, although Kazuki could feel the presence of Kaoru next to him.

"You really have anger issues," Kaoru said blunty, and Kazuki felt a hand being placed on his back. "I would say it's whatever, but you are hurting yourself, Kazuki." The hand on his back left and Kazuki felt its touch on his own wrapped hand that was throbbing with pain.

Kaoru's voice was calm, but not like Shion's cold, meticulous one, but in a soothing way that made Kazuki want to force his nerves to stop flaring with anger. Kaoru's hand rubbed gently over Kazuki's, trying to comfort the older student.

"I would really like if you stop hurting yourself, Kazuki," Kaoru continued. "You put too much pressure on yourself, you bottle things up, it isn't good for you at all and it really hurts everyone to see you like this." The hands on Kazuki disappeared for a moment until he felt the pair return, taking a hold of his wrists and pulling him up. "Come on, you had a long day, lets go to bed."

Kazuki allowed himself to be pulled by the hands, slowly rising from his sitting position like a rag doll with no will to do anything of its own. He stood on his own two feet, yet Kazuki had never felt so unstable in life. He looked at Kaoru who gave him an extremely forced smile.

"You...you don't need to worry about anything right now," Kaoru started slowly, his hands moving from Kazuki's wrist to the buttons on his suit. "Let's just get you ready for bed, you should really get some sleep."

Kazuki watched as Kaoru took of his clothes, the twin did not looking back up at Kazuki. The older student allowed Kaoru to do as he liked, not wanting to do anything at the moment. He couldn't will himself to do anything. Only when Kaoru was getting his shirt off did Kazuki remember the state in which he had left Kaoru.

Taking the twin's hands in his, Kazuki looked at Kaoru who was unbuttoning the white shirt. Kaoru looked up at Kazuki, a curious expression playing on his features. "Kaoru, I...I really can't," Kazuki said in a defeated voice.

Kaoru looked at him with a questioning stare before his eyes blew wide and his face blushed bright. "Kazuki, no, oh my gosh, no," Kaoru stammered, looking away from Kazuki and focussing his eyes on the remaining buttons, continuing his action with fumbling fingers "I wouldn't want to. Hell, it… I don't necessarily not want it… I, ugh," Kaoru groaned, ripping Kazuki's shirt form him and gripping his friend's wrist and dragging him to the bed. "I'm not an idiot, I know that the time for something like  _that_  and this isn't it." Kaoru practically pushed Kazuki on ot the bed and quickly went over to the door.

Kazuki's heart rate jumped at the thought of Kaoru leaving him, he should have kept his mouth shut. Kazuki was a moment away from begging the twin to not leave, to remain with him for a little longer when he noticed that Kaoru was flipping off the switch and slowly walking back to the bed. A bit awkwardly, Kaoru took off his own shirt and began to pull the covers from where the were tucked.

"Y-You're staying?" Kazuki asked as the cover was pulled from under him.

"You were going to ask me to anyways, weren't you?" Kaoru said a little sheepishly as he slid into the bed. He motioned for Kazuki to join him, which Kazuki did in almost slow motion. Kaoru fanned out the cover, allowing cool air to blow over them before the soft cover rested over them, like a cloud setting upon the two.

"Besides," Kaoru said, moving closer to Kazuki. Kazuki looked into those warm brown eyes that seemed to look directly into him and could easily uncover every secret he had. "I wouldn't want to leave you. You may not want to agree or admit it, but you're a people person, Kazuki. You need others in you life that you can depend on." Kaoru's eyes looked downwards as he said, "and I'm happy I can be one of those people for you. I'm ready to listen to whatever troubled you today."

Kazuki gave a soft sigh. "Kaoru, I'm not really re-"

"Its okay if you aren't, not now. I don't need you to say anything at this second, I want you to close your eyes and go to sleep." Kaoru's hand came up and brushed the hair from in front of Kazuki's face, a soft smile playing on his lips. The twin leaned over a kissed Kazuki's lips, pulling away before any other action could be taken. "Please just rest."


End file.
